Koertzen, 73, was on the International Cricket Council’s elite panel of umpires for eight years and officiated in 331 matches, a record at the time of his retirement in 2010 that has since been surpassed by Pakistan’s Aleem Dar.
Koertzen, who became an umpire in 1981, made his debut as an international umpire in 1992 during India’s historic tour of South Africa.
In 1997 Rudi Koertzen was appointed as a full-time ICC umpire and was one of the first members of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires. He was the TV Umpire in the 2003 and 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup finals and officiated in three Men’s ODI World Cups.
“It is a very big loss, foremost for his family and then for South Africa and cricket,” Dar was quoted as saying by ESPNcricInfo.
“I stood in so many games with him. He was not only very good as an umpire but also an excellent colleague, always very cooperative on field and also always willing to help off the field.
“Because of the way he was, he was also well-respected by players.”
Rudi Koertzen died while driving from Cape Town to Despatch in Eastern Cape, where he lived with his family, ESPNcricInfo reported.
Koertzen won the ICC Bronze Bails Award for 100 ODIs, the ICC Silver Bails Award for 200 ODIs and the ICC Golden Bails Award for 100 Tests. He was the first umpire to stand in 200 ODIs and 100 Tests, a feat matched only by Aleem Dar to date.
Koertzen still umpired occasionally in amateur cricket in his hometown of Despatch in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.