Will Swanton, former SUCC 1st Grade wicket keeper (Cap No. 570), now senior sports writer for ‘The Australian’, has won a prestigious award at the ASC Media Awards held this week.
Will won the best written sport coverage by an individual.
The Club acknowledges Will and his celebrated work.
JFR
The Club also acknowledges another of our former players who was awarded the AM, Member of the Order of Australia in the General Division.
Dr David Headon AM
“For significant service to history preservation as a historian, cultural advisor and author.”
Dr Headon played for SUCC for three seasons from 1969 to 1972.
James Rodgers
Professor Tony Haymet will become Australia’s tenth Chief Scientist, taking over from Dr Cathy Foley who recently finished her term.
Tony played Cricket for SUCC beginning in 1976 and previously was educated at Sydney Grammar School.
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James Rodgers
After a Semi-Final finish in 2024/25, SUCC are now accepting applications to trial for our Green Shield Program for 2025/26.
If selected, the squad will have access to an interstate tour as a squad, high-quality coaching, a SUCC helmet and backpack and elite level facilities.
The club is proud to report that its Patron, James Rodgers, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours list.
James received this recognition for his services to education and to cricket. He was a long-serving staff member at St Ignatius College, Riverview, until his recent retirement. His involvement in the Sydney University Cricket Club extends back to 1972, and he has held almost every position of consequence within the club, including stints as Secretary and Chairman. As a player, his 869 wickets set a club record that is unlikely to be broken. He is a Life Member of the club and of the Sydney Cricket Association, of which he was Vice-Chairman between 1989 and 1993.
The club extends hearty congratulations to James on this thoroughly-deserved recogniation.
L to R - Mac Chambers, Vic Cristofani and Hartley Anderson
VICTOR ATHOL CRISTOFANI died 11 January 2025, aged 93, on the same day as the first day of the 1st Grade game between Sydney University and St George at Hurstville Oval for the O'Keeffe/O'Sullivan trophy. Vic had played most of his 1st Grade career with Sydney University and St George. He began in Green Shield for St George in 1944-45, aged 13, and went on to captain the St George Green Shield side of 1946-47.
There are now only five former SUCC players aged in their nineties or more:
Bert Alderson, who turned 100 in December 2024.
Donald Scott-Orr, 94
Trevor Mitchell, 92
Saxon White, 90
and Graham Reed, 90
Vic's older brother, DR (Bob) Cristofani (1920-2002) whose obituary appeared in the SUCC Annual Report of 2002-03, had played Green Shield for St George in 1937-38 before making his 1st Grade debut for St George in 1940-41 (1st Grade cap no115). He played 18 first class games (749 runs and 48 wickets) for NSW before and after the war and for the Australian Services team after the war. He had served in the RAAF as a pilot, flying Beaufighters.
Both Bob and Vic were educated at Sydney High School. Both bowled leg spinners and both were dashing middle order batsmen. Both began studies after the war at Sydney University and both played 1st Grade for SUCC (Bob SUCC 1st Grade cap no363; Vic 1st Grade cap no374) Bob also captained University's 1st Grade (SUCC 1948-52. 735 runs and 103 wickets) while Vic's batting was often decisive in low-scoring games(SUCC 1949-52. 639 runs and 6 wickets).
Both then returned to St George after graduation for the 1952-53 season (Vic was St George 1st Grade cap no167) when St George won the 1st Grade premiership.
For St George in 1st and 2nd Grades, Vic scored over 4500 runs and took over 100 wickets.
Vic had a long and decorated career, with St George until 1954-55, then Western Suburbs 1955-61 before returning to the strong St George sides from 1961. When he was transferred by the ABC to Adelaide, he played for West Torrens. In October 1975, aged 44, he was quite remarkably recalled to the West Torrens 1st Grade side. When he moved to Canberra, he initially represented Western District.
From 1993 to 2003, Vic was President of the ANU Cricket Club, where he played and coached, and was made a Life Member of ANU and ACT Cricket. His coaching the City Club, ANU and Daramalan College was precise, exact and filled with long experience and innovative theories.
Cricket ACT posted a comprehensive obituary when Vic died:
"Vic's memory will live on in the hearts of all who were fortunate to know him and in the continued success of the players and clubs he so passionately supported."
SUCC stalwarts, Hartley Anderson and Mac Chambers, visited Vic at Glenhaven Aged Care Facility during 2024 and reported that he was alert, engaging and keen to hear news of SUCC.
Vic's funeral took place on Saturday 18 January which was to have been the second day of the 1st Grade match (washed out) between St George and Sydney University.
Vic's wife, Margaret pre-deceased him.
The Club's sincere sympathies are extended to his sons and daughters in law: Janice, Gregory, Kathryn and Paul.
JFR
AW GREEN SHIELD CENTURIES
Sydney University CC has been playing in the AW Green Shield competition since 1997-98. In that time, there have been only ten centuries scored by SUCC players. The first was in the first season, by Ed Cowan, who was to play 18 Tests for Australia and to score 1001 Test runs.
The tenth SUCC Green Shield centurion, Archie O'Hara, scored a commanding 135 not out last Thursday against Bankstown on University No.1 Oval. Archie batted through the innings of 3 for 277, hitting 9 fours and 2 sixes from 158 balls. His 135 is the second highest by an SUCC player in Green Shield.
Archie O’Hara 135 not out vs Bankstown DCC
The highest was scored by Pradeep Pathirana who plundered 138 not out against Nth Sydney in 2003-04. In 2006-07, Pradeep was to score a majestic 215 in 4th Grade against Parramatta.
The complete list of the SUCC AWG centurions is:
Pradeep Pathirana 138 no 2003-04
Archie O'Hara 135 no 2024-25
Sam Hinton 127 no 2000-01
Julian Ryan 119 2022-03
Nick Arnold 115 2014-15
Ed Fitzpatrick 112 2015-19
Luke Reynolds 111 no 1999-2000
Ed Cowan 107 no 1997-98
Nick Arnold 105 2014-15
Jack Bray 101 2022-23
One more fascinating fact:
One of Ed Cowan's nephews, Charlie Cowan, was in the SUCC side last Thursday that enthusiastically applauded Archie off the ground after his historic innings.
James Rodgers
