EPRFU Stadium
Encyclopedia
EPRU Stadium, also known by its original name of Boet Erasmus Stadium, is 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 14
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.
While the stadium no longer hosts professional rugby, it has hosted age-group, amateur and club rugby since being officially closed.
, the stadium was used as a logistics point for Port Elizabeth, a host city.
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.
. 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.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape
Port Elizabeth is one of the largest cities in South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, east of Cape Town. The city, often shortened to PE and nicknamed "The Friendly City" or "The Windy City", stretches for 16 km along Algoa Bay, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. 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
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
matches, as well as football. "EPRU" stands for Eastern Province Rugby Union, the company behind the stadium's historic primary tenants, the Mighty Elephants
Eastern Province Kings
The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union...
team in the Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
.
The stadium was the intended home of the Southern Spears
Southern Spears
The Southern Spears, were a South African rugby union franchise who were originally founded in 2005 and were intended to participate in the Super 14 from 2007 onwards; however, their proposed entry into the competition led to considerable controversy within the country's rugby establishment...
, a team that was scheduled to play in the 2006 Currie Cup in preparation for its admission to the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
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
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts...
in Port Elizabeth. The last match to be played at the stadium was a friendly against the Blue Bulls
Blue Bulls
The Blue Bulls, for sponsorship reasons known as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, or more popularly by their Afrikaans name die Blou Bulle, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament...
on 3 July 2010.
While the stadium no longer hosts professional rugby, it has hosted age-group, amateur and club rugby since being officially closed.
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 | 34-3 | Group A 1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.... |
18,000 | ||
| 1995-05-31 | 27-11 | Group A 1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.... |
15,000 | ||
| 1995-06-03 | 20-0 | Group A 1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.... |
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 |  GhanaGhana national football team The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association... |
2–0 |  Côte d'IvoireCôte d'Ivoire national football team The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football... |
Group D | 8,000 |
| 1996-01-16 |  TunisiaTunisia national football team The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round... |
1–1 |  MozambiqueMozambique national football team The Mozambique national football team , popularly known as Os Mambas, represents Mozambique in association football and is controlled by the Federação Moçambicana de Futebol, the governing body for football in Mozambique... |
Group D | 1,000 |
| 1996-01-19 | Ghana Ghana national football team The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association... |
2–1 | Tunisia Tunisia national football team The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round... |
Group D | 1,000 |
| 1996-01-21 | Côte d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire national football team The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football... |
1–0 | Mozambique Mozambique national football team The Mozambique national football team , popularly known as Os Mambas, represents Mozambique in association football and is controlled by the Federação Moçambicana de Futebol, the governing body for football in Mozambique... |
Group D | 500 |
| 1996-01-24 |  AlgeriaAlgeria national football team The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified... |
2–1 |  Burkina FasoBurkina Faso national football team The Burkina Faso national football team, nicknamed Les Etalons , is the national team of Burkina Faso and is controlled by the Fédération Burkinabé de Foot-Ball. They were known as the Upper Volta national football team until 1984, when Upper Volta became Burkina Faso... |
Group B | 180 |
| 1996-01-25 | Tunisia Tunisia national football team The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round... |
3–1 | Côte d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire national football team The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football... |
Group D | 1,000 |
| 1996-01-28 | Ghana Ghana national football team The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association... |
1–0 |  ZaireCongo DR national football team The Congo DR national football team is the national team of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is controlled by the Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association , and are nicknamed The Leopards.Congo have been ranked as high as 51 in the FIFA Rankings... |
Quarterfinals | 8,000 |
2010 FIFA World Cup
During the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, the stadium was used as a logistics point for Port Elizabeth, a host city.
Rugby
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Eastern Province Eastern Province Kings The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union... |
20-0 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
Tour match 1955 British Lions tour to South Africa In 1955 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. The Lions drew the test series against , each team winning two of the four matches. They won the first test by a single point and the third by three points and lost the second and fourth matches by wider margins... |
|
| 1955 | 22-8 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
Test match 1955 British Lions tour to South Africa In 1955 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. The Lions drew the test series against , each team winning two of the four matches. They won the first test by a single point and the third by three points and lost the second and fourth matches by wider margins... |
||
| 1962 | Eastern Province Eastern Province Kings The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union... |
6-21 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
Tour match 1962 British Lions tour to South Africa In 1962 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. Overall the tourists played twenty-five matches, winning sixteen, losing five and drawing four.... |
|
| 1968 | Eastern Province Eastern Province Kings The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union... |
14-23 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
Tour match 1968 British Lions tour to South Africa In 1968 the British Lions toured South Africa. The tour was not success in terms of international results, the Lions losing the test series against South Africa by three matches to nil, with the other match drawn. The Lions won 15 of their 16 non-international matches, losing only to Transvaal... |
|
| 1968 | 6-6 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
Test match 1968 British Lions tour to South Africa In 1968 the British Lions toured South Africa. The tour was not success in terms of international results, the Lions losing the test series against South Africa by three matches to nil, with the other match drawn. The Lions won 15 of their 16 non-international matches, losing only to Transvaal... |
||
| 1974-05-25 | 9-26 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
Test match 1974 British Lions tour to South Africa In 1974 the British Lions toured South Africa, with matches in South West Africa and Rhodesia . The tour was a great success, the Lions winning 21 of their 22 matches and drawing the other. After winning the first three test matches, the Lions drew the final test to preserve their unbeaten record... |
55,000 | |
| 1974-06-13 | Eastern Province Eastern Province Kings The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union... |
14-28 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
Tour match 1974 British Lions tour to South Africa In 1974 the British Lions toured South Africa, with matches in South West Africa and Rhodesia . The tour was a great success, the Lions winning 21 of their 22 matches and drawing the other. After winning the first three test matches, the Lions drew the final test to preserve their unbeaten record... |
|
| 1980-05-10 | Eastern Province Eastern Province Kings The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union... |
16-28 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
Tour match 1980 British Lions tour to South Africa In 1980 the British Lions rugby union team toured South Africa . The tour was not a success in terms of international results, the Lions losing the first three tests before salvaging some pride with a win in the fourth... |
|
| 1997-05-24 | Eastern Province XV Eastern Province Kings The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union... |
11-39 | British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... |
Tour match 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa The 1997 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa was a series of matches played by the British and Irish Lions rugby union team in South Africa.This tour followed the Lions' 1993 tour to New Zealand and preceded their 2001 tour to Australia.... |
|
| 2006-06-17 | 29-15 | Test match 2006 mid-year rugby test series During June of 2006, several rugby union test sides played fixtures that were mainly contested in southern nations. It acted as end of year tours of the Northern Hemisphere nations, and pre season matches for the Tri Nations Series and Pacific 5 Nations.... |
35,000 |
Football
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-11-12 |  South AfricaSouth Africa national football team The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in... |
2–3 |  SenegalSenegal national football team The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football... |
Nelson Mandela Challenge | |
| 2008-06-01 | South Africa South Africa national football team The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in... |
0–1 |  NigeriaNigeria national football team The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994... |
2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) The Confederation of African Football section of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw teams compete for five berths in the final tournament in South Africa... |
30,000 |
Rugby
The stadium was regularly used by the Eastern Province KingsEastern Province Kings
The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union...
under their previous names, Eastern Province and the Mighty Elephants. The stadium was used for most of the teams Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
and Vodacom Cup
Vodacom Cup
The Vodacom Cup is an annual rugby union competition in South Africa which is contested between February and May. The cup is the third most prestigious competition in rugby union in South Africa, behind Super Rugby and the Currie Cup. It runs at roughly the same time as Super Rugby and serves as an...
matches. The stadium also hosted Eastern Province's 2 home matches during the 1994 Super 10
Super 10 (Southern Hemisphere competition)
The Super 10 was a rugby union tournament featuring ten teams from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Tonga and Western Samoa, which ran for three years from 1993 to 1995...
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 LeaguePremier Soccer League
Premier Soccer League is the trading name of the National Soccer League of South Africa. The top league is the ABSA Premiership, sponsored by ABSA...
. The club used the stadium again at times during their 2009/2010 in the National First Division
National First Division
The National First Division is the second-highest league of South African club football after the Premier Soccer League . Both the NFD and PSL are organised by the National Soccer League.-For seasons in 2007-11:...
. This was due to availability problems with their preferred home ground, the Westbourne Oval.
See also
- Nelson Mandela Bay StadiumNelson Mandela Bay StadiumNelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts...
- List of stadiums in South Africa
- List of African stadiums by capacity