Young soccer players in Moncton tested new artificial turf at one of the official training sites in Moncton for the FIFA Women's World Cup over the weekend.

Artificial turf has been laid down at Rocky Stone Field, which will be used as a training site by teams during this June's event.

New Brunswick's Under-13 girls team played on the new turf for the first time this weekend.

Coach Sheri Gallant says it is important to break in the turf.

"Before you have national team athletes come on here, you need to have it tried out and tested and make sure it's ready to play on and practice," she said.

Gallant said the players were making sure the pitch was even and if it needed to be groomed.

"Also we were asked to make sure we used every aspect of the field. So we're making sure we're doing practice and training on every part of the field to pat it down as well," Gallant said.

Erin Vringer, 11, prefers artificial turf to natural grass on a soccer field. (CBC) The use of artificial turf for the women's event has been controversial for FIFA.

​The organization was sued by more than 60 world-class female soccer players who alleged gender discrimination since the men's World Cup is played on grass.

The lawsuit was dropped earlier this year.

Erin Vringer, 11, of Saint John, said she prefers the turf over grass.

"Cause my passes go farther and you don't have to pass it as hard because it rolls farther," she said.

Soccer fields at Bernice MacNaughton High School and Harrison Trimble High School will also be used as practice areas during the FIFA event.

Moncton spent $1.5 million to convert those fields to artificial turf to accommodate FIFA.

The city also built a new field adjacent to the stadium at a cost of $500,000.

Games in the Women's World Cup will be played at Moncton Stadium at the University of Moncton, which has also been changed to a turf surface at a cost of $1.5 million.

Moncton is one of six Canadian cities hosting the FIFA event and will host games involving the national teams of France, England, Colombia, Mexico, Ivory Coast, Norway, Costa Rica and Brazil.

The tournament starts on June 6.

The first games to be played in Moncton will be on June 9 with Group Stage games pitting France against England and Colombia against Mexico.​