Alex Rufer
{{short description|New Zealand footballer (born 1996)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Alex Rufer
| full_name = Alex Arthur Rufer{{Cite web |title=FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 List of Players |url=http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWYC/2015/pdf/FWYC_2015_SquadLists.pdf |page=14 |publisher=FIFA |date=30 May 2015 |access-date=1 June 2015}}
| image = Alex Rufer.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Rufer playing for the Wellington Phoenix in 2024.
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1996|6|12}}
| birth_place = Geneva, Switzerland
| position = Defensive midfielder
| currentclub = Wellington Phoenix
| clubnumber = 14
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2013
| youthclubs1 = YoungHeart Manawatu
| years1 = 2013
| clubs1 = YoungHeart Manawatu
| caps1 = 5
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2013
| clubs2 = Wairarapa United
| caps2 = 1
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 2013–2022
| clubs3 = Wellington Phoenix Reserves
| caps3 = 28
| goals3 = 3
| years4 = 2013–
| clubs4 = Wellington Phoenix
| caps4 = 158
| goals4 = 5
| nationalyears1 = 2013–2014
| nationalcaps1 = 13
| nationalgoals1 = 3
| nationalteam1 = New Zealand U17
| nationalyears2 = 2015
| nationalcaps2 = 1
| nationalgoals2 = 1
| nationalteam2 = New Zealand U20
| nationalyears3 = 2015–2020
| nationalcaps3 = 4
| nationalgoals3 = 1
| nationalteam3 = New Zealand U23
| nationalyears4 = 2015–
| nationalcaps4 = 18
| nationalgoals4 = 0
| nationalteam4 = New Zealand
| club-update = 19 March 2025
| nationalteam-update = 18 November2024
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's football}}
{{MedalCountry|{{fb|NZ}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|OFC Nations Cup}}
{{Medal|W|2024 Fiji/Vanuatu|}}
{{MedalCompetition|OFC U-17 Championship}}
{{Medal|W|2013 Samoa/Vanuatu|}}
}}
Alex Arthur Rufer (born 12 June 1996) is a New Zealand professional footballer who captains and plays as a defensive midfielder for Wellington Phoenix in the A-League.
Personal life
Rufer is the son of former international New Zealand player Shane Rufer, and the nephew of Oceania Player of the Century Wynton Rufer. He also attended Palmerston North Boys' High School.{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/9001612/Young-Alex-Rufer-hopes-to-keep-name-in-lights|title=Young Alex Rufer hopes to keep name in lights |first=Sam|last=Worthington|newspaper=Stuff.co.nz|date=5 August 2013}}
Club career
Rufer started his career with YoungHeart Manawatu.
In February 2013, Rufer joined Wairarapa United.{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/wairarapa-times-age/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503412&objectid=11091230|title=Rufer to join United|first=Gary|last=Caffell|newspaper=Wairarapa Times-Age|date=21 February 2013}}
In August 2013, ahead of the A-League season, Rufer signed a three-year contract with Wellington Phoenix.{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10907326|title=Rufer signs three-year deal with Phoenix|newspaper=The New Zealand Herald|date=2 August 2013}} Rufer made his debut for the Wellington Phoenix in the 3–2 away win against Newcastle Jets on 9 February 2014.{{cite news |last=Barclay |first=Chris |date=9 February 2014 |title=Hicks the man for Phoenix in win over Newcastle |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/9702367/Hicks-the-man-for-Phoenix-in-win-over-Newcastle |url-status= |work=Stuff |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140210211350/http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/9702367/Hicks-the-man-for-Phoenix-in-win-over-Newcastle |archive-date=10 February 2014 |access-date=16 March 2022}}
In a 2–1 loss against Brisbane Roar on 12 March 2022, Rufer suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. He was expected to return from injury 12 months later.{{cite news|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/300540744/wellington-phoenix-captain-alex-rufer-out-for-a-year-with-seasonending-injury|title=Wellington Phoenix captain Alex Rufer out for a year with ACL injury|accessdate=15 March 2022|date=15 March 2022|website=Stuff|author=Rollo, Phillip}}
International career
Rufer made his international debut for the All Whites in a friendly match against Myanmar on 7 September 2015, coming on for Jeremy Brockie in the 72nd minute.{{cite web |url=http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/myanmar-fight-back-earns-draw/ |title=Myanmar fight back earns draw |publisher=nzfootball.co.nz |access-date=8 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910031825/http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/myanmar-fight-back-earns-draw |archive-date=10 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}
Career statistics
{{Updated|match played on 29 April 2023}}{{Soccerway|281606|name=Alex Rufer}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| YoungHeart Manawatu
|5 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 5 | 0 | |||
| rowspan="13"|Wellington Phoenix
|rowspan=8|A-League |1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2014–15
|3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16
|4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17
|3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18
|11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19
|24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=ALFS|Appearance in the A-League final series}} | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| 2019–20
|19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=ALFS}} | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| 2020–21
|21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22
|rowspan=4|A-League Men |14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23
|18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=ALFS}} | 0 | 19 | 2 | |
| 2023–24
|24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2{{efn|name=ALFS}} | 0 | 28 | 3 | |
| {{nowrap|2024–25}}
|19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!129 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 139 | 2 | |
| rowspan="10"|{{nowrap|Wellington Phoenix Reserves}}
|rowspan=7|Premiership |13 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 13 | 1 | |||
| 2015–16
|2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17
|7 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 7 | 1 | |||
| 2017–18
|4 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 4 | 1 | |||
| 2018–19
|0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20
|1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21
|1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2021
|rowspan=2|{{nowrap|National League}} |0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2022
|1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 3 | |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!163 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 173 | 5 |
{{notelist}}
Honours
;New Zealand
;Individual
- PFA A-League Team of the Season: 2023–24{{cite news|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350279718/wellington-phoenix-dominate-pfa-league-men-team-season|first=Phillip|last=Rollo|date=16 May 2024|access-date=17 May 2024|website=Stuff.co.nz|title=Wellington Phoenix dominate PFA A-League Men team of the season}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{FIFA player|371142|Alex Rufer}}
{{Wellington Phoenix FC squad}}
{{Navboxes
| title = New Zealand squads
| bg = black
| fg = white
| bordercolor = black
| list =
{{New Zealand squad 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup}}
{{New Zealand squad 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup}}
}}
{{2023–24 A-League Men PFA Team of the Season}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rufer, Alex}}
Category:Footballers from Geneva
Category:New Zealand men's association footballers
Category:New Zealand men's international footballers
Category:New Zealand men's youth international footballers
Category:New Zealand people of Swiss descent
Category:Swiss men's footballers
Category:Swiss people of New Zealand descent
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Wellington Phoenix FC players
Category:New Zealand Football Championship players
Category:New Zealand Māori sportspeople
Category:2017 FIFA Confederations Cup players
Category:2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup players
Category:Wairarapa United players
Category:People educated at Palmerston North Boys' High School
Category:OFC Nations Cup–winning players