EPRU Stadium
| The Boet | |
| Full name | Eastern Province Rugby Union Stadium |
|---|---|
| Former names | Boet Erasmus Stadium |
| Location |
La Roche Drive Summerstrand Port Elizabeth South Africa |
| Coordinates | 33°58′55″S 25°38′22″E / 33.98194°S 25.63944°ECoordinates: 33°58′55″S 25°38′22″E / 33.98194°S 25.63944°E |
| Owner | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality |
| Operator | Eastern Province Rugby Union |
| Capacity | 33,852 |
| Field size | 100m X 70m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Closed | 2010 |
| Tenants | |
|
Mighty Elephants (Currie Cup) (1959 - 2010) Bay United (PSL/NFD) (2008 - 2010) | |
EPRU Stadium, also known by its original name of Boet Erasmus Stadium, was a stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 33,852 people. The original name Boet Erasmus Stadium was named after Boet Erasmus, a former mayor of Port Elizabeth.
It was used mostly for rugby union matches, as well as football. "EPRU" stands for Eastern Province Rugby Union, the company behind the stadium's historic primary tenants, the Mighty Elephants team in the Currie Cup.
The stadium was the intended home of the Southern Spears, a team that was scheduled to play in the 2006 Currie Cup in preparation for its admission to the Super Rugby starting in 2007. However, the Spears were later denied entry into both competitions.
The stadium was officially closed in July 2010. The Eastern Province Rugby Union have moved all games to the new world class Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. The last match to be played at the stadium was a friendly against the Blue Bulls on 3 July 2010.[1]
The stadium has hosted age-group, amateur and club rugby after being officially closed but has since been abandoned. Vagrants and thieves have slowly dismantled the stadium and all that remains are the concrete structures. The owner is the local municipality which has asked for proposals from the private sector for the redevelopment of the land.
International tournaments
1995 Rugby World Cup
The stadium was one of 9 venues throughout South Africa used for the Rugby World Cup. The stadium was used for group games in Group A. It hosted 3 games, including the match between South Africa and Canada:
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-05-26 |  Canada | 34-3 |  Romania | Group A | 18,000 |
| 1995-05-31 |  Australia | 27-11 | Canada | Group A | 15,000 |
| 1995-06-03 |  South Africa | 20-0 | Canada | Group A | 31,000 |
1996 African Cup of Nations
When the tournament was moved to South Africa, the EPRU Stadium was chosen as one of 4 host stadiums. A total of 6 pool games were played at the stadium, as well as a quarter-final:
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-14 |  Ghana | 2–0 |  Côte d'Ivoire | Group D | 8,000 |
| 1996-01-16 |  Tunisia | 1–1 |  Mozambique | Group D | 1,000 |
| 1996-01-19 | Ghana | 2–1 | Tunisia | Group D | 1,000 |
| 1996-01-21 | Côte d'Ivoire | 1–0 | Mozambique | Group D | 500 |
| 1996-01-24 |  Algeria | 2–1 |  Burkina Faso | Group B | 180 |
| 1996-01-25 | Tunisia | 3–1 | Côte d'Ivoire | Group D | 1,000 |
| 1996-01-28 | Ghana | 1–0 |  Zaire | Quarterfinals | 8,000 |
2010 FIFA World Cup
During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the stadium was used as a logistics point for Port Elizabeth, a host city.
International matches
Rugby
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Eastern Province | 20-0 | British Lions | Tour match | |
| 1955 | .svg.png){kind=small} South Africa | 22-8 | British Lions | Test match | |
| 1962 | Eastern Province | 6-21 | British Lions | Tour match | |
| 1968 | Eastern Province | 14-23 | British Lions | Tour match | |
| 1968 | South Africa | 6-6 | British Lions | Test match | |
| 1974-05-25 | South Africa | 9-26 | British Lions | Test match | 55,000 |
| 1974-06-13 | Eastern Province | 14-28 | British Lions | Tour match | |
| 1980-05-10 | Eastern Province | 16-28 | British Lions | Tour match | |
| 1997-05-24 | Eastern Province XV | 11-39 | British Lions | Tour match | |
| 2006-06-17 | South Africa | 29-15 |  Scotland | Test match | 35,000 |
Football
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-07-29 | South Africa | 0–1 |  Zimbabwe | 2000 COSAFA Cup#Semi-Final | |
| 2003-06-14 | South Africa | 2–1 |  Trinidad and Tobago | International Friendly | 28,000 |
| 2006-11-12 | South Africa | 2–3 |  Senegal | Nelson Mandela Challenge | |
| 2008-06-01 | South Africa | 0–1 |  Nigeria | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier | 30,000 |
Local matches
Rugby
The stadium was regularly used by the Eastern Province Kings under their previous names, Eastern Province and the Mighty Elephants. The stadium was used for most of the teams Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup matches. The stadium also hosted Eastern Province's 2 home matches during the 1994 Super 10 season. The stadium has also often been used for club rugby.
Football
The stadium was used as the home ground for Port Elizabeth-based football club, Bay United. They moved to the stadium for their 2008/2009 season in the Premier Soccer League. The club used the stadium again at times during their 2009/2010 in the National First Division. This was due to availability problems with their preferred home ground, the Westbourne Oval.
See also
References
- ↑ "So long, Boet". The Herald. 2010-07-02. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to EPRU Stadium. |
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