EPRU Stadium
EPRU Stadium, also known by its original name of Boet Erasmus Stadium, was a stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The letters "EPRU" in the name represent the Eastern Province Rugby Union, the company behind the stadium's historic primary tenants, the Mighty Elephants. The original name Boet Erasmus Stadium was named after Boet Erasmus, a former mayor of Port Elizabeth.[1] The stadium held a capacity of 33,852 people and served primarily as a venue for rugby union matches but also hosted a number of football fixtures.
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 |
| 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) | |
Background
Music
On 6 March 2007, Irish vocal pop band Westlife held a concert for The Love Tour supporting their album The Love Album.
Rugby
Boet Erasmus stadium was primarily used as the home of rugby in the Eastern Cape. Situated in the affluent suburb of Summerstrand, it hosted matches at Test, Super Rugby, Currie Cup, Vodacom Cup and club level.[2] It was regularly used by the Eastern Province Elephants under their previous names, the Mighty Elephants and the Eastern Province Kings and hosted their two home matches during the 1994 Super 10 season. The stadium was also 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 is credited for being the first stomping ground of a number of Springbok legends, included in which are Danie Gerber, Garth Wright, Frans Erasmus and Hannes Marias.[2]
The Battle of Boet Erasmus
In 1974, during the 1974 British Lions tour to South Africa, one of the most violent matches in rugby history[3][4] was dubbed the "Battle of Boet Erasmus Stadium".[5] After a 99 call by Lions, there is famous video footage of J.P.R. Williams running over half of the pitch and launching himself at Moaner van Heerden,[6] something that Williams says he is not proud of.[7] Gordon Brown hit his opposite number, Johan de Bruyn, so hard that the Orange Free State man's glass eye flew out and landed in the mud.[8]
At the 1995 Rugby World Cup on 3 June 1995, South Africa took on Canada in a clash that has also sometimes been dubbed the Battle of Boet Erasmus. The match, which South Africa ultimately won 20-0, was marred by an on-field scuffle with four players involved in a brawl. South Africa hooker James Dalton, who had come to the aid of a teammate who had been struck on the back of the head, and winger Pieter Hendriks were suspended for the remainder of the tournament for their roles in the incident and could only watch from the sidelines as the nation went on to claim its first Rugby World Cup title.[9][10]
Football
The stadium was used as the home ground for Port Elizabeth-based football club, Bay United who 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 campaign in the National First Division. This was due to availability problems with their preferred home ground, the Westbourne Oval.
Closure and abandonment
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 Boet hosted age-group, amateur and club rugby matches after being officially closed but has since been abandoned, with vagrants and thieves having slowly dismantled the stadium to such an extent that all that remains are the concrete structures.[1] The local municipality, who own the property, has asked for proposals from the private sector for the redevelopment of the land.[2]
The stadium was demolished in 2019.
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 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada | 34-3 |  Romania | Group A | 18,000 |
| 1995-05-31 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} 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 |  Ivory Coast | 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 | Ivory Coast | 1–0 | Mozambique | Group D | 500 |
| 1996-01-24 |  Algeria | 2–1 |  Burkina Faso | Group B | 180 |
| 1996-01-25 | Tunisia | 3–1 | Ivory Coast | 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
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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 |
See also
References
- Lambley, Garrin (11 July 2013). "So sad. Boet Erasmus in Ruin". Sport24. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- Foster, Grant (15 November). "Former EP Rugby home in ruins". SA Promo. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- "Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth 13 July 1974". Official Website of the British and Irish Lions. Archived from the original on 22 October 2006.
- Byron, George (14 May 2005). "Recalling those legendary 'Battles of the Boet'". Weekend Post. Archived from the original on 3 August 2009.
- Staff (24 November 2002). "Sports File: Caught in Time: Lions in South Africa, 1974". The Sunday Times.
- English, Tom. "Rampant Lions - South Africa 1974". Archived from the original on 27 October 2007. cites it is a copy an article in The Sunday Times, 20 May 2001.
- Doyle, Paul (6 October 2006). "Small talk: JPR Williams". The Guardian Unlimited. Archived from the original on 20 January 2008.
- Thomas, Clem; Thomas, Greg (2013). 125 Years of the British and Irish Lions: The Official History (illustrated ed.). Random House. p. iv. ISBN 9781780577388.
- "'Battle of Boet Erasmus' remembered". News24. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
- "1995 RWC Battle of Boet Erasmus - South Africa vs Canada". Rugby Dump. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2016.