Oceania Footballer of the Century

It is true to say that the average New Zealander doesn’t realise how big of a superstar today’s guest is. In 1990, then German football coach – Franz Beckenbauer – who coached his team to World Cup glory – stated that our guest was the number one rated striker in the Bundesliga, and if he was German he would have been a first choice selection in his squad.

Wyton Rufer was born in Wellington to a Swiss father, Arthur, and a Māori mother, Anne. The staunch Ngāti Porou kid excelled at football at a young age and was soon creating a name for himself in the local leagues. It wasn’t long before his talent drew the attention of Norwich City in England where he immediately started finding the back of the net. Denied a work permit Wynton, alongside his brother Shane, moved to their father’s homeland where they picked up a contract with FC Zürich. As Wynton’s career was starting to take off – the New Zealand National side, The All Whites, were attempting to qualify for the 1982 World Cup. An 18-year old Wynton Rufer was called into the national squad by head coach John Adshead for decisive qualifiers against Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Rufer scored three times in his first two appearances for his country, cementing his place in the team and playing a key role in propelling the team to their first-ever World Cup appearance.

There is so much more to the story – this was only the start of what would become a 22-year career playing more than 500 games and scoring more than 200 goals – in leagues in England, Switzerland, Germany, Japan and New Zealand.

In 2000 Wynton was voted as the Oceania Footballer of the Century and still to this day is recognised throughout Europe and especially Germany, where he is still regarded as one of the finest players ever.

This is the story of how a kid from Rongotai College, in Wellington, New Zealand – who grew up in a rugby obsessed country – went on to conquer the heights of european football and stamp his name as the greatest footballing talent this country has ever seen.

This is Wynton Rufer – Indigenous 100.