DONALD Bradman was born in Cootamundra, yet never called the town home.
Max Rudd wasn’t born in town, but he is the
closest thing Cootamundra has to cricketing royalty.
Regarded as one of the greatest players to ever strap on a pad, Max Rudd lost his ongoing battle with illness on Thursday morning.
He was 86.
In the days since his passing, tributes have flooded in for a man who not only excelled on every
sporting arena he entered but also for a man who devoted more than five decades of his life to the administration and future stability of the sports which gave him so much joy.
Put simply, there will never be another who will shape the sporting landscape of this town as much as Max Rudd.
Rudd’s cricketing exploits in Cootamundra are legendary.
A career spanning more than 40 seasons, in excess of 1600 games and an incredible record of
achievements.
While no records were kept in terms of runs scored in those years, Rudd is credited with at least 100 Merrin Cup centuries and close to 20 O’Farrell Cup tons.
The fact he scored the last of these O’Farrell Cup centuries at 55 years of age was testament not only to his ability, but also his durability.
During his glittering career Rudd was selected for three fixtures against touring MCC teams including the 1963 match against Ted Dexter’s side at Griffith.
Opening the innings against a bowling attack the featured the likes of Fred Trueman, Brian Stathan, Ray Illingworth, Dexter and Barry Knight, Rudd topped scored with a brilliant 82, including six fours and one six, in the Country XI’s total of 6-186.
The MCC won the match easily, with Dexter
scoring 108 and Geoff Pullar 81, however Rudd regarded that day as one of his most memorable on a cricket field.
Rudd’s long time friend Eric Thorburn simply described him as ‘the best’.
“I have no hesitation in declaring him as the best cricketer I have seen in our area,” Thorburn said.
“As a batsman he had everything - his footwork was exceptional and his hand eye coordination was amazing.
“Once he got in he could hold up an end and build a team innings around himself.
“He would punish any loose deliveries, but was also prepared to play the good balls on their merits which was one of the keys to him making so many high scores.
“The fact that he was still able to score a century at O’Farrell Cup level in his 50s highlights just how good he was. You will never see that again.”
Rudd was also heavily involved in the
administration of cricket, taking on the role of
association secretary in the 1951/52 season, while his second term as president saw him finally step down from an executive position in 2000.
Rudd proudly boasted that during his 50 year
association with the administration of cricket he never missed an Annual General Meeting.
His contributions to cricket were rewarded when he was one of three men, the others being Thorburn and Ray Ward, afforded Life Membership of the association in 1986.
And while Rudd is best know for his exploits in the bastion of summer sports, there were several others in which his legacy will live on.
He was a foundation member of the Cootamundra Australian Football Club, with the Coota Cats (as they were then known) playing their first game against Boree Creek in April 1960.
Rudd was named best and Fairest in the club’s inaugural year and again in 1964, while both he and his loving wife Betty were afforded Life Membership of the club.
Rudd also played a leading role in the establishment of a structured basketball competition in town where one of his first teams was the Whirlwinds which also included players such as Daryl Fazion, Bill McMinn, Mick Howse and Rex Elvish.
Rudd was a keen and competitive table tennis player, winning the 1953 Men’s Double Championships with his brother John, with Rudd serving as president of the association in 1957.
He also enjoyed great success as a tennis and squash player and played a leading role in the saving of the local squash courts in the late 1950s when it appeared the building was going to be turned into a block of flats.
Rudd was a foundation member and inaugural secretary of the Cootamundra Sports Foundation which honoured his service at this year’s presentation dinner by having an award - the Max Rudd Services to Sport Award - named in his honour.
There are so many other Max Rudd stories, and this article barely scratches the surface, but again the final word can be left to his great Mate Eric Thorburn.
“Max was one of the greatest sportsmen I have ever known, a real competitor on the field and nature’s gentleman off it,” Thorburn said.
The funeral service for Max Rudd will be held at the Sacred Heart Church Cootamundra at 2pm on Wednesday.
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