Buffalo City Stadium

Buffalo City Stadium
Full name Buffalo City Municipality Stadium
Former names Absa Stadium
Basil Kenyon Stadium
Location Arcadia, East London
Built 1934
Renovated 2010
Owner Buffalo City Municipality
Surface Grass
Capacity 16,000
Tenants
Border Bulldogs (Currie Cup)
Blackburn Rovers (NFD)

Buffalo City Stadium (also known as the BCM Stadium) is a multi-use stadium in East London, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for Rugby Union matches and is the home stadium of Border Bulldogs. The stadium holds 16,000 people.

The stadium has undergone three name changes. Originally, it was named Border Rugby Union Grounds, which was changed to the Basil Kenyon Stadium, after the Springbok player who captained the Springboks on a successful 3 month tour of England in 1951. It has also been called ABSA Stadium, for sponsorship reasons.[1] [2]. On 26 June 2010, The BCM Stadium hosted a Test match between Italy and South Africa. South Africa won 55–11.

Contents

Notable matches

In August 1978, 5,500 spectators at the stadium watched the South African Country Districts XV beat the touring American Cougars 44-12.[3] [4] [5]

1995 Rugby World Cup

The stadium was one of the host venues for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It hosted 3 first round matches in Pool B during the tournament.

Date Team #1 Res. Team #2 Round Attendance
27 May 1995  Italy 18–42  Western Samoa Group B 11,000
30 May 1995  Western Samoa 32–26  Argentina Group B 11,000
4 June 1995  Argentina 25–31  Italy Group B 11,000

References

  1. ^ [www.rugby365.com/schools/craven/2502041.htm "Craven Week in History"]. 2010-06-25. www.rugby365.com/schools/craven/2502041.htm. Retrieved 2011-12-26. 
  2. ^ "Absa Stadium". BuffaloCity.gov.za. Oct 13 2009. http://www.buffalocity.gov.za/news2009/oct/oct13_absastadium.stm. Retrieved 8 March 2010. 
  3. ^ "South Africans Down Americans". The News and Courier. 1978-08-12. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2506&dat=19780812&id=e4NJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yQsNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3343,2513731. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 
  4. ^ "Sports Shorts". The Robesonian. 1978-08-11. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-ppYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=es4MAAAAIBAJ&dq=errol%20tobias&pg=6071%2C5061615. Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  5. ^ "Sports Catalogue May 2010. [Opens .doc file directly."]. 2010. http://www.selectbooks.co.za/files/RugbyList26.doc. Retrieved 2011-12-21. 

See also