Golden link to Olympic origins as cricket author builds towards century

Especially considering he was also a New Zealand international in two sports, founder of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, Northern Tasmanian Cricket Association president for 15 years, three time Northern Tasmanian golf champion, life member of Launceston Chamber of Commerce and a founding member of Launceston Rotary Club.

Of almost equal gravitas to any of that, Cuff also finds himself among the subjects in the latest publication from prolific Launceston cricket historian and author Rick Smith.

With more than 25 books to his name, Smith is a quarter of the way to a personal century and - like Hobart Hurricanes spinner Paddy Dooley - his latest offering promises an unconventional delivery.

More To Life Than Cricket explores extraordinary life stories behind some lesser known players and unearths such gems as Alderman Henry Allison who fled Launceston Council in 1858 with his wife's pregnant sister, changed his name to Race, made his way to Washington state in the US and became the only first-class cricketer to die by being gored by a bull.

There are seven Tasmanians among Smith's colourful squad with few more deserving of a posthumous spotlight than Cuff who was born in Christchurch in 1866 and died in Launceston 88 eventful years later.

Sporting a magnificent handlebar moustache expected of his era, it was during an athletics tour to Paris in 1892 that Cuff combined winning nine medals with meeting Baron Pierre de Coubertin who was in the process of resurrecting the Olympic Games - a task which was achieved four years later in Athens.

"Cuff's involvement in this movement saw him appointed as the 12th of 13 founding members of the International Olympic Committee," Smith writes.

"Given his geographic location this would not have been an easy position to fulfil, and it was the reason he gave de Coubertin for his eventual resignation. The Frenchman asked him to reconsider, but eventually accepted Cuff's decision. However, his work did pave the way for teams from Australia and New Zealand to participate."

Describing Cuff as "the epitome of an all-round sportsman", Smith says he deserves greater recognition "and yet few people today would have any knowledge of him at all".

He adds: "The sheer breadth of his involvement in so many areas in both Australia and New Zealand is breathtaking. In 1995 he was quite rightly inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. In a long obituary in The Examiner it was stated that 'he had a fine record of service to the community and sport' but even that tells only a part of the story of his extraordinary life."

More To Life Than Cricket (RRP $29.95) is available from Petrarch's Bookshop or Rick Smith on 0407 430290.