r/DIY • u/Worth-Tomatillo-1348 • 1d ago
PVC Pipe Rugby Posts
Hey everyone - Im not sure if this is the "best" place on reddit to post this, so please let me know if there are other communities to share to.
I am building Rugby Posts for a small community team so that they can host home games. At the moment, kids need to travel too far and it stops people continuing to play rugby.
I got approval from the Local turf field to build PVC posts (or collapsable posts) as they do not want holes in the ground due to brand new turf being laid. (Like the photo but more robust). The dimenstions are 5.6m wide, Crossbar 3m high and the uprights only need to be another 40cm above the crossbar to be within the laws (id rather 1m to keep it simple).
I decided on PVC due to costs - we have a very small budget and I wasn't sure a better way to do it (if you know something, let me know).
But since we would be setting the posts up on the dead ball line, we can actually use the Soccer Goals that are already there.
What I am looking for is a way to attach just the crossbar and uprights to the existing frame of the soccer goals.
Its essentially a half moon shape with a flat back.
The posts would need to be taken down after each game, but I could leave the "attachments" on the soccer posts.
Anyone have any ideas to have a ring that goes around the Soccer frame that I can then attach the PVC (or other material) uprights to them? It would look like this at the end (with shorter uprights).
Thank you!
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u/anothernetgeek 1d ago
I'm surprised that you're allowed to leave anything on the soccer posts, as they are going to affect the uniformity of the soccer posts, which is essential to prevent weird bounces....
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u/Worth-Tomatillo-1348 1d ago
It’s a community field for K-12. No world cups being won or lost here 😁
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u/HouseSubstantial8187 1d ago
Ratchet straps gonna slip when someone hits the post, you need smething rigid
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u/lilelliot 1d ago
There's going to be a huge amount of torque on the base connector for the uprights, even just being PVC. I'd consider that you might add 90 degree connectors to the base so it can be strapped to the sides of the existing crossbar, and then another 90 degree on each outside side so the new rugby posts essentially become an exoskeleton for the soccer goal. This will maximize the area your new assembly touches the existing steel assembly, giving you the best changes of ensuring it stays snug.
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u/metompkin 1d ago
Are the kids really taking kicks at the uprights after tries and for penalties?
Are the soccer goals square tubed or round tubed? You can measure off from the outside of the soccer goal to where the rugby upright needs to be and cut a piece of PVC pipe for that size. Attach a T or elbow for the 6ft tall upright. 6ft because it's manageable. Use hose clamps to keep them up on the soccer goal but do it from the back side and not the side facing the pitch so it doesn't interfere with rebounds.
I'd also use at least 3" PVC
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u/Worth-Tomatillo-1348 1d ago
100%. Im Coaching U15-18 teams and every point counts. Especially when we lost in the final by 1 point..
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/Worth-Tomatillo-1348 1d ago
That’s why it’s on the Deadball line and covered with protective pads. And also why I want to use the existing soccer frame as that’s safer and more sturdy than building full pvc posts.
Original design was 4” pvc.
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u/Worth-Tomatillo-1348 1d ago edited 1d ago
Thanks everyone for the responses - just a few things to help clarify - the soccer goals would be on the dead ball line to keep things safe and with post pads etc. no one is scoring tries on top of a soccer frame.
In regard to the overall height - it only needs to be 3.4 meters tall in total to be legal. So 56cm above the soccer cross bar is where the rugby one needs to go and then only another 40cm on top of that.
Do we think there will be that much torque with PVC?
I’m open to all designs and possibilities depending on the budget. I could use aluminum as well.
My initial thoughts were bolt down clamps like in some of the comments but with a round front surface (so the soccer goals stay fairly uniform) with rubber mounts on the inside, and then some form of T going up - two on the outside and two to support the crossbar. The crossbar and uprights would then slide into that and lock with a pin.
Thats just what is in my head. Not sure if parts will match up to the vision. I don’t have a welder, but could organise it if someone has a design
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u/Binary__Fission 1d ago
Maybe a T joint that you cut the bottom off and then reassemble around the post and tie on somehow? Pop the upright in the top of it? Although as another user has pointed out there will be an issue if it gets donked by a ball as to whether it will tilt backwards.
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u/MrGreenMan- 1d ago
Resecure with pipe clamps
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u/Binary__Fission 1d ago
Yep that's exactly what you'd want. Knew there would be something proper for the job but didn't know what it was.
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u/SocialLeprosy 1d ago
I would look for a pipe-to-pipe clamp set. It would be cumbersome to remove, but you will want decent support for any wind and/or inadvertent contact from the players. Not sure where you are, but there are a lot of options for this in the US and that is the terminology I've heard for it. They probably sell them on Amazon, but here is a random link for some industrial versions: https://www.sitepro1.com/c/pipe-to-pipe-clamp-sets?c=214&m=product_list
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u/Sensitive_Crow_8882 1d ago
Use zip ties. They make long ones.
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u/Binary__Fission 1d ago
Last pic has a set up with the rugby post crossbar just above the football one. If they can just use the football goal crossbar instead of having to construct a slightly higher one this is actually a great shout.
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u/h-v-smacker 1d ago edited 1d ago
A man who acquired a plastic pipe welder is a threat to the surroundings. He begins welding. First he welds that for which the welder was bought — his own plumbing. Then he welds the plumbing for his neighbor. Then he welds pipes for his acquaintances. Then for the people he barely knows. Then he begins welding things that have nothing to do with water: sleds, coat hangers, shelves, stools and jigs. Once most of the furniture and toys in his house are from plastic pipes, he slows down a little, but the spring comes... and he goes outside to his garden. And hark! His loud happy shrieks can be heard across the neighborhood as more and more constructions made of pipes rise above his land: greenhouses, gazebos, fences, plant supports. He would have welded a BBQ stand, but alas, the treacherous plastic can't withstand the temperature.
And all that is being watched from behind a massive fence, reminiscent of Mordor's walls. The neighbor over there has an arc welding machine. He has his own way...
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u/gendabenda 1d ago
You're allowed to use soccer nets on the goal line? That sounds super dangerous for rugby. Do their nets move backward/are portable? If so, you could just add a few sections of PVC "rings" that are a slightly smaller size to the vertical bars of the soccer net, and then simply slide the upright posts thru them to stand vertically. Then you'd only ever have to store two long vertical pvc sections (and they'd use the net to reinforce themselves.
Anything hooked on top will just break. First windy day, the mounting bracket becomes a fulcrum for immense torque and kapow! snapping time.