| Robert Rutherford | |
| Country: | New Zealand |
| Fullname: | Robert Malcom Rutherford |
| Birth Date: | 4 October 1886 |
| Birth Place: | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand |
| Death Place: | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand |
| Date: | 22 May |
| Year: | 2016 |
| Source: | http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/38365.html CricInfo |
Robert Malcolm Rutherford (4 October 1886 – 17 August 1960) was a New Zealand lawyer and sportsman. He played nine first-class cricket matches for Otago between the 1908–09 and 1913–14 seasons[1] and captained the Otago field hockey team.
Rutherford was born at Dunedin in 1886.[2] He studied law at the University of Otago in the city and played both cricket and hockey for the University club.[3] Described as a "well-known" cricketer,[4] he made his senior representative debut for the representative cricket team in a December 1908 Plunket Shield match against Auckland, making scores of 11 and 14 and taking one wicket in the match. He played twice more in top-class matches for the side during the season before making three appearances in 1909–10. His final three first-class matches came between the 1910–11 season and 1913–14. In total Rutherford scored 251 first-class runs and took 10 wickets for Otago.[5]
He was a member of the Otago Hockey Association committee and played regularly for the province's representative side.[6] [7] Described as a "brilliant forward", he captained the provincial side against Southland during the 1911 season.[8]
Rutherford qualified as a solicitor and left Dunedin in 1912 to work as the managing clerk for ER Bowler at Gore in Southland in 1912.[8] He was admitted to the bar later in the year.[9] By 1921 he was working at Milton to the south of Dunedin.[4] He died at Dunedin in 1960 at the age of 73.[1]