WATCH | Bok legend Matfield saddened by state of EP Rugby's demolished former home

Legendary former Springbok lock Victor Matfield was saddened to see the sight of present-day Boet Erasmus Stadium, the ground where he made his Test debut.

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Matfield visited the remains of the former home of Eastern Province Rugby in Gqeberha on Thursday.

What Matfield saw was a far cry from the days when crowds packed the famous old ground. 

Matfield made his Test debut at Boet Erasmus Stadium on 30 June 2001 when South Africa beat Italy 60-14. Matfield, now 45, would go on to play a record 127 Tests for his country.

There's not much left of the old Boet Erasmus Stadium, with the old grandstand and adjacent stands having been demolished.

The old railway stand is all that is left. There used to be a train at the top of the stand which was converted into corporate boxes.

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"Very sad. So many stories, so many legends... nothing here anymore... but time moves on, we're getting old," Matfield says in the video.

Boet Erasmus Stadium was officially closed in July 2010, with EP Rugby moving its headquarters to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

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After closure, the stadium still hosted age-group, amateur and club rugby matches but was completely demolished in 2018.