Former South African umpire Rudi Koertzen, on Tuesday, August 9, passed away in an accident. He was 73 when he breathed his last. As per reports, along with Koertzen, three other people died in a collision that occurred in an area named Riverdale in South Africa.
Koertzen was going to his home at Despatch in Nelson Mandela Bay from Cape Town after playing golf on the weekend. Rudi Koertzen Jr, the late umpire’s son, put forth the revelations.
“He went on a golf tournament with some of his friends, and they were expected to come back on Monday, but it seems they decided to play another round of golf,” Koertzen Jr. was quoted as saying on Algoa FM News.
Back in 1981, Koertzen began his journey, after which, in 1992, he got his maiden chance to officiate in an international match during India’s tour of South Africa. It happened to be the very first series where television replays to declare batters run out came to the fore.
At the age of 43, Koertzen umpired in the opening Test in Port Elizabeth. The International Cricket Council (ICC) appointed him as a full-time umpire in 1992. Thereafter, he didn’t look back after becoming the second umpire to stand in 100 Tests and 200 ODIs.
