The rugby pitch at Twickenham Stadium has been transformed into a stunning portrait featuring three of Premiership star players.
The artwork features Harlequins player, Joe Marler; Saracens’ Maro Itoje, as well as Sale Sharks’ Rugby World Cup winner Faf de Klerk.
It took team of eight artists more than 24 hours to complete the pitch portrait and more than 100 hours of planning before any paint touched the grass.
A bespoke computer program was written to generate the precise measurements that were needed to create the artwork to the exact scale of the stadium.
The image, which occupies most of the 7,000 square metre pitch, was created using a grid comprised of 13,420 elements. Each painted line in the portrait is just six inches wide. Nearly 1,280 litres of biodegradable pitch marker paint were used for the elaborate creation.
The spectacle can be seen from the sky this week on flights in and out of London’s Heathrow airport.
Sale's Faf de Klerk said: “I didn't realise it was going to be on the field, I thought it was going to be a photo up somewhere or on the big screen.
"It's looking really cool. There are a lot of great players in the Premiership, and it is amazing. I feel really privileged and quite humble."
Saracens and England star Maro Itoje said “The last few months have been really tough on fans and players but we’re back and we’re ready for the start of the season on Friday. The past five months has shown us how important the sport is and what it brings to people lives”.
British artist John Lundberg, who oversaw the portrait said: “When you view the artwork up close you can’t really tell what it is but then when you see it from a vantage point it comes together and creates a complete image.
"It’s an incredible honour to create this piece to celebrate the return of rugby. It’s been such a tough time for sport and many industries, and it’s nice to be a part of bringing this sport back to the people who love it”.
The first game of the restarted Gallagher Premiership between Harlequins and Sale Sharks is live on BT Sport at 7.45pm on Friday.
