Age, Biography and Wiki

Wynton Rufer (Wynton Alan Whai Rufer) was born on 29 December, 1962 in Wellington, New Zealand, is a New Zealand footballer. Discover Wynton Rufer's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 61 years old?

Popular As Wynton Alan Whai Rufer
Occupation N/A
Age 61 years old
Zodiac Sign Capricorn
Born 29 December 1962
Birthday 29 December
Birthplace Wellington, New Zealand
Nationality New Zealand

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 29 December. He is a member of famous Player with the age 61 years old group.

Wynton Rufer Height, Weight & Measurements

At 61 years old, Wynton Rufer height is 1.81 m .

Physical Status
Height 1.81 m
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
Eye Color Not Available
Hair Color Not Available

Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Not Available
Sibling Not Available
Children Not Available

Wynton Rufer Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Wynton Rufer worth at the age of 61 years old? Wynton Rufer’s income source is mostly from being a successful Player. He is from New Zealand. We have estimated Wynton Rufer's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income Player

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Timeline

1962

Wynton Alan Whai Rufer (born 29 December 1962) is a New Zealand retired professional footballer who played as a striker.

1980

Made his A-international debut for New Zealand against Kuwait on 16 October 1980 in the friendly international Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia aged 17 years and 291 days.

1981

After being voted New Zealand's Young Player of the Year in 1981 and 1982, Rufer attracted the attention of Norwich City manager Ken Brown, who invited the player and his older brother Shane Rufer to Norfolk for a trial.

He impressed and signed a professional contract on 23 October 1981, becoming the first Kiwi to do so.

However, he was denied a work permit to play in England, so he joined Fussballclub Zürich in May of the following year.

Added late to the squad for New Zealand in their World Cup qualification campaign in 1981 and played his first World Cup qualifier on 14 December 1981 against Kuwait, aged 18, scoring in a 2–2 draw for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Rufer quickly established himself in the All Whites side.

Late in the following year, he netted the 2–1 winner in the decisive playoff against China, which propelled the nation to its first World Cup ever.

In the final stages in Spain, 19-year-old Rufer was the youngest member of the squad, appearing in all three group losses, against Scotland, the Soviet Union and Brazil.

In total, he gained 23 full caps, scoring 12 goals.

1982

He was also a member of the New Zealand national team in its first FIFA World Cup appearance in 1982.

He was named the Oceania Footballer of the Century by the Oceania Football Confederation.

Rufer was born in Wellington to a Swiss father, Arthur Rufer, and a New Zealand Māori mother, Anne Hine Rufer (née Campbell).

He affiliates to the Ngāti Porou iwi.

After leaving the city's Rongotai College, he played his first football for Wellington Diamond United, Stop Out and Miramar Rangers.

1985

From 1985–89, he only collected a total of five international appearances, namely due to the fact Zürich would not release him; from there until 1996, he did not appear for the national side at all.

1986

During his time in Switzerland, Rufer converted to Christianity and married his wife, Lisa, in 1986.

They have two sons, Caleb and Joshua, who are also footballers.

His brother Shane and his nephew Alex also played professional football and played for the New Zealand national team.

Grasshoppers

Werder Bremen

1. FC Kaiserslautern

Central United

Individual

1987

Rufer would play in Switzerland in the following seven years, also representing FC Aarau and Grasshopper Club Zürich: whilst at the former, he topped the scoring charts at 21 in the 1987–88 season, helping his club to the fourth place.

With the Hoppers, he won the domestic cup, precisely against Aarau, and surpassed the 100-goal mark in his years in the country.

1989

In the 1989 summer, Rufer signed with SV Werder Bremen, coached by Otto Rehhagel.

His Bundesliga debut came on 29 July, in a 0–0 draw at FC St. Pauli, and his impact was immediate, as he netted six times in his first 13 league matches.

Rufer was voted Oceania's Player of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 1992.

1992

Overall, he would play an enormous part in the side's achievements, pairing with Klaus Allofs up front: on 6 May 1992, both scored in the final of the season's UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, in Lisbon (2–0 win against AS Monaco FC).

In the 1992–93 league season, as Werder won the third championship in the club's history, Rufer finished second in the scoring charts, at 17.

1993

He spent more than a decade of his professional career in Switzerland and Germany, achieving his greatest success at Werder Bremen, where he won a total of four major titles and finished the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League 1993–94 season.

On 8 December 1993, he scored two against R.S.C. Anderlecht in the UEFA Champions League, in a 5–3 home win (Anderlecht led 3–0 with 25 minutes to go); he finished as that competition's topscorer, alongside FC Barcelona's Ronald Koeman, and added his second German Cup.

1994

In 1994–95, the 31-year-old left Bremen and moved to JEF United Ichihara of the J1 League, finishing as the club's leading scorer in his second year.

1996

When Rehhagel took on the task of resurrecting 1. FC Kaiserslautern's fortunes in 1996 – the club would eventually return to the top division, as champions – he called upon Rufer in February 1997, and he contributed with four goals in 14 second division matches.

Rufer returned to his country and successively represented Central United, North Shore United and Auckland Kingz, retiring at the age of nearly 40.

He then founded a football coaching school, WYNRS, which produced football stars such as women's international Annalie Longo.

1998

With his brother Shane, Rufer took on player-coaching duties at North Shore United in 1998, before coaching the national Under-16 men's squad ahead of the 1999 Junior World Cup Finals, notably achieving a draw against the Under-16 men's teams of Austria and win over Norway in an unofficial U-16 World Cup tournament in Nice, France in 1998.

2001

He was appointed player-coach of the country's first professional football team, Auckland Kingz, participating in the Australian Soccer League for two seasons before retiring in 2001, having been named Oceania's Player of the Century ahead of Frank Farina (Australia) and Christian Karembeu (France, of New Caledonia descent).

2014

In February 2014, Rufer was appointed manager of Papua New Guinea.

He was also responsible for managing Papua New Guinea U19 at the 2014 OFC U-20 Championship.