All Whites All-Time Stats: Appearances, Goals etc.

The figures people quote for all-time All Whites appearance records, goal-scorer records etc. are often not for A internationals (i.e. officially recognized full internationals). They include games against club sides and have Steve Sumner and Brian Turner as our all-time appearance leaders.

According to the actual "A international" records, Chris Wood is already our all-time appearance record holder.
NZ used to play a lot of games against club sides who would tour here and the AW's would tour the UK every few years.
Better to only count A international matches as all other countries and FIFA does.
These are the real figures for A internationals:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_men%27s_national_football_team#Most_appearances
NZ INTERNATIONAL APPEARANCES
Rank   Name        Caps  Goals  Position Career
1 | Chris Wood | 93 | 45 | FW | 2009–present
2 | Ivan Vicelich | 88 | 6 | DF | 1995–2013
3 | Kosta Barbarouses | 76 | 10 | FW | 2008–present
4 | Simon Elliott | 69 | 6 | MF | 1995–2011
5 | Michael Boxall | 66 | 1 | DF | 2011–present
6 | Vaughan Coveny | 64 | 29 | FW | 1992–2006
7 | Ricki Herbert | 61 | 7 | DF | 1980–1989
8 | Chris Jackson | 60 | 10 | MF | 1992–2003
9 | Brian Turner | 59 | 21 | MF | 1967–1982
10 | Duncan Cole | 58 | 4 | MF | 1978–1988
Steve Sumner | 58 | 22 | MF | 1976–1988

And for goals in A internationals (disregarding goals in friendlies against clubs etc. as often used to be included when the AW's didn't play a lot of A internationals but played a lot of club sides) Elijah Just and Kosta Barbarouses are the only currently active AW's to join Chris Wood in the Top Ten.
Amazingly, Elijah Just is now level with the great Wynton Rufer on goals scored for NZ (12 goals).
 Wynton was unlucky to play in an era when UK and European clubs held all the power and could prevent players from playing for their country, hence his small number of international appearances.
He was luckier than the Aussie Craig Johnston, a great player for Liverpool in the 1980's, who was never able to play for the Socceroos despite wanting to (Liverpool had it in his contract - legal to do then).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_men%27s_national_football_team#Top_goalscorers
AND:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/128132876/vaughan-coveny-salutes-chris-wood-after-breaking-his-all-whites-goal-scoring-record
(Updated from above to include active AW's)
1. CHRIS WOOD (2009-) 45 goals (90 games)

2. VAUGHAN COVENY (1992-2006) 29 goals (62 games).

3. SHANE SMELTZ (2003-2017) 24 goals (58 games).

4. STEVE SUMNER (1976-1988) 22 goals (58 games).

5. BRIAN TURNER (1967-1982) 21 goals (59 games).

6. JOCK NEWALL (1951-1952) 16 goals (10 games).

KEITH NELSON (1977-1983) 16 goals (20 games).

CHRIS KILLEN (2000-2013) 16 goals (48 games).

7. GRANT TURNER (1980-1988) 15 goals (42 games).
8. ELIJAH JUST (2019-) 12 goals (47 games)

WYNTON RUFER (1980-1997) 12 goals (23 games).

DARREN MCCLENNAN (1986-1997) 12 goals (43 games).

MICHAEL MCGARRY (1986-1997) 12 goals (54 games).

9. STEVE WOODDIN (1980-84) 11 goals (24 games).
10. KOSTA BARBAROUSES (2008-) 10  goals (76 gmes)

ROY COXON (1951-52) 10 goals (8 games).

COLIN WALKER (1984-1988) 10 goals (15 games).

DAVE TAYLOR 1967-1981) 10 goals (47 games).

I saw the alternative records being quoted the other day which I remembered thinking was odd - I think most people would generally only recognise the official match stats.

I suspect the top 10 for caps will change massively over the next 5 years, with Stamenic, Bell, Just, Garbs, McCowatt all knocking on the door. Goalscorers not so much, maybe just Waineo.

23 games for Rufer is shameful.

especially over a 17 year period!
did we not play a lot then or did he just not turn out for the national team?

Could be wrong, but I'd suspect it be either his clubs not willing to release him or the cost of travel to fly him over for fixtures.

Just quietly, 10 goals is a poor return for Kosta, considering the opposition and his success in the A league. That means he only broke double figures against Chile?? Something to consider when looking at complaints about him making the 2010 WC squad or starting for the Nix. It’s good to be motivated by these things, many top sports people are, but they’re not always undeserved. 

Club not releasing him. He tried and even went to the airport a few times. The Bosman and other rule changes got rid of this BS behaviour from Euro clubs.

I'm the one who mentioned Sumner's all time appearance record. I want Chris to get that one too so no matter whether someone quotes A appearances or all appearances Chris is there.

I do think that someone like Just will eclipse them both in the not too distant future given we play a lot more games now then we did 20+ years ago.

The All Whites didn't play a lot of A (official) internationals in the 1980's and early 1990's, whether friendlies or competitive games.
The OFC Nations Cup wasn't played at all between 1980 and 1996.
So the only competitive games for the AW's were World Cup qualifiers every four years and Olympic qualifiers every four years (full national teams took part in the Olympics until 1992).
If we played England or a decent European side, it was usually their official B team or their national amateur team.
(We played "England B" several times in the 1970's and 1980's back when England had a B international side that played regularly -  a way to try out prospective full internationals like Glen Hoddle and others).
The Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia was a useful regular friendly tournament the AW's often participated in.
Hence, they used to pad out the schedule with a lot of games vs. foreign (mainly UK) club sides.

Regarding Wynton's availability:
There were no FIFA windows when Wynton was playing for NZ, so clubs weren't obliged to release players to national teams.
National team games were often played when European clubs had competitive matches on.
For evidence, refer to the All Whites' match details at the two links below to the excellent rsssf site.
(1) The AW's often played on dates when Wynton's clubs were playing league games, cup games or UEFA games in Europe. 
e.g. see details for some of the AW's first friendlies post the 1982 World Cup:
Feb. 1983 two match series vs. the Socceroos:
Wynton's club FC Zurich would have been playing at that time.
(2) The OFC, dominated by Pacific Island countries, actually scheduled World Cup qualifiers on dates when European leagues were active.
Whether that was due to incompetence or on purpose, take your pick!
As evidence of this see at the second web link below.
1992 saw group stage OFC World Cup qualifiers played in June and July.
1993 was the year of the OFC World Cup play-off final (predictably it ended up being NZ v Australia)
To prepare, in 1992 the AW's toured the UK playing club sides in February and Wynton made himself available when possible between Werder Bremen commitments, for the AW's.
A regular squad available for the full tour was named by manager Ian Marshall, plus:

Some players based in the United Kingdom and Europe were also considered on a 
match-by-match basis, subject to availability. 
The following players made appearances during the tour: 
Ceri Evans (Oxford United, ENG), Heremaia Ngata (Hull City, ENG), Fred de Jong 
(Fortuna Sittard, NLD), Wynton Rufer (Werder Bremen, GER), Shane Rufer 
(Gillingham, ENG) and Chris Zoricich (Leyton Orient, ENG). 

Wynton played in three matches on the tour including the famous 1-0 win vs. Celtic at Parkhead.
Wynton's status at Werder Bremen meant the next phase of AW's preparation involved Wynton's Bremen team touring NZ for three matches vs. the AW's in May and June 1992, the final one just four days before the WC qualifier vs. Fiji . Wynton played in all three games for NZ.
However, he didn't play in any of those WC qaulifiers vs. Pacific countries in June and July 1992.
Maybe coach Ian Marshall didn't feel his presence was crucial for those games.
Next phase was preparing for the OFC play-off final over two legs vs. the Socceroos on May 30 (in Auckland) and June 6 in Sydney.
Those matches were scheduled on dates when Werder Bremen had their last Bundesliga matches of the season.
NZ didn't play at all for nine months between the last OFC group stage qualifier on July 19 and the two friendlies vs. Saudi Arabia on April 18 and 24 1993.
Wynton missed those games  - it was during Bremen's club season.
He also missed the two friendlies vs. Fiji on May 22 and 24 immediately before the play-off final vs. Australia.
I talked to then AW's coach Ian Marshall before he passed away over twenty years ago about the fact that Wynton didn't play vs the Socceroos.
He told me that Wynton had his bags packed and a flight booked to Auckland.
Wynton was super keen to come.
However, Bremen had key title-deciding Bundesliga matches scheduled on May 30 and June 6 NZT, so Ian Marshall told Wynton to stay with his club.
It went down to the wire in the race vs. Bayern for the title and was only decided on the final day of the season on June 6 NZT.
If he had got on the flight to Auckland, imagine the situation if Bremen had lost the Bundesliga title - Wynton would never have played for Bremen again and his career would have suffered.
Werder Bremen's May 1993 fixtures (European time):
Match 28: Werder Bremen 4 - 1 Bayern Munich (May 1, 1993)

Match 29: SG Wattenscheid 09 0 - 1 Werder Bremen (May 4, 1993)

Match 30: Werder Bremen 1 - 0 Borussia Dortmund (May 8, 1993)

Match 31: Borussia Mönchengladbach 3 - 1 Werder Bremen (May 15, 1993)

Match 32: 1. FC Saarbrücken 1 - 3 Werder Bremen (May 22, 1993)

Match 33: Werder Bremen 5 - 0 Hamburger SV (May 29, 1993)

Match 34: VfB Stuttgart 0 - 3 Werder Bremen (Jun 5, 1993

Details for all AW's games 1980 to 1989 (including line-ups, scorers etc.):
https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nz-intres-det80.html
1990 to 1999:
https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nz-intres-det90.html

Wynton's games for NZ 1985:
He clearly made the effort to play in key competitive games for NZ.
Wynton appeared in these final round OFC World Cup qualifying matches despite it being during the Swiss club season:

(167) World Cup qualifier
Sep 21, Auckland, Mount Smart Stadium, 14826
New Zealand          0-0 Australia
(170) World Cup qualifier
Oct 26, Auckland, Mount Smart Stadium, 10600
New Zealand          3-1 Israel 
 (Wynton Rufer 3', Malcolm Dunford 29', Colin Walker 68' - Zahi Armeli 23')335.
(171) World Cup qualifier
Nov 3, Sydney, Sports Stadium, 21910
Australia            2-0 New Zealand 
 (John Kosmina 13', David Mitchell 47')

Wynton's games for NZ 1988-89:
Wynton played in these key final round OFC WC qualifiers 1988-89:

 (195) World Cup qualifier
Dec 15, Auckland, Western Springs Stadium, 9000
New Zealand          4-1 Taiwan
 (Billy Wright 11', Darren McClennan 16', 41', 49' - Garry Lund OG 55')
(196) World Cup qualifier
Mar 5, Ramat-Gan, National Stadium, 44500
Israel               1-0  New Zealand
 (Ronny Rosenthal 7')

However, Wynton didn't play in the next three WC qualifiers: away and home vs the Socceroos on March 12 and April 2 and home vs. Israel on April 9.
Maybe he was injured or Werder Bremen didn't release him (he had left Swiss football for Werder Bremen by then).

Wynton played that qualifier v Taiwan in December 1988 because the Bundesliga was starting winter break, so he flew home early to take part.  When the game came up in Israel in March 1990, the word was that he apparently paid for his own travel there, and sorted the insurance concerns with Werder, in order to be able to play - that was how much playing for the AWs meant to him.

When he and Shane came back in 1985 to play Aus and Israel, they were actually risking a FIFA ban as Zurich refused to release them - it was some 11th hour Charlie Dempsey negotiating that let them play, and Wynton was immense in both games.

12 goals in 23 full internationals is pretty handy, all said and done...

It was a different world back then.