Well-known and universally respected former umpire Rudi Koertzen of South Africa passed away on August 9, 2022, in a car crash that also claimed the lives of three other people in a head-on collision. The crash occurred on Tuesday morning in an area called Riversdale.

The 73-year-old Koertzen, a resident of Despatch in Nelson Mandela Bay, was on his way back home from Cape Town after a golf weekend. His son, Rudi Koertzen Jr. confirmed the news of his father’s passing to Algoa FM News and said that he died on impact.

“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 said.

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Koertzen made his umpiring debut in international cricket in 1992 when he officiated in his first ODI and Test matches between South Africa and India. He then became a full-time ICC umpire in 1997 and was one of the original members of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires when it was founded in 2002.

He officiated in 108 Tests, 209 ODIs, and 14 T20I matches from 1992-2010. He was officially voted the top umpire in 2002 and was nominated for the ICC Umpire of the Year award in 2005 and 2006. He continued umpiring in IPL and other 

(News18 inputs)