After playing 32 times for his country over a period of 14 years, All Whites defender Ben Sigmund called time on his international career on Tuesday.
Sigmund retires from All Whites
Very good call. Won't affect the AWs too much, but will be great for the Phoenix and (most importantly) his family. I can see how at his age it wouldn't be much fun to travel halfway round the world just to sit on the bench.
He may not have been the most gifted footballer, but boy did he have commitment to the cause. Key part of that win v Bahrain
.Got to feel bad for him at times. Gets All Whites to the World Cup. Doesn't play a game in it. Never heard his complain though.
And suddenly our depth isn't looking great.
I'm amazed as I hadn't really realised at the time, that he helped the All Whites get to South Africa but didn't actually end up getting to play a game. Is a bit of a shame for him really.
But I think it is a good decision for him to finish on his own terms, can extend time he can play for the Phoenix and less time away from the family. Allows young players there chance too (though sooner than later, that might have happen anyway)
Yup Reid and Smith came in after we qualified. Bit of a shitter, but guess that is football.
From memory he was the one who won 'that corner' against Bahrain. Stampeding run forward.
Thats a classy media release from NZ and words from Hudson. Agree with sentiments above. He certainly defines the word 'battler'.
And very good sentiments and attitude from Siggy. He helped create one of NZ football's greatest ever moments, that win over Bahrain. Special.
Was wondering if maybe this won't change too much for the Phoenix, as aren't they likely to take someone like Boxall instead for the All Whites call up? So yes while we don't lose our starting CB any more to international duty, we will still lose a player?
Thanks for the memories Siggy.
Nice write up too. Well done Siggy, absolute class player and human being. You will be missed I'm sure.
Was wondering if maybe this won't change too much for the Phoenix, as aren't they likely to take someone like Boxall instead for the All Whites call up? So yes while we don't lose our starting CB any more to international duty, we will still lose a player?
Depends how you rate Boxall and Siggy relative to each other. Right now I think I'd prefer having Siggy around on those weekends because of his experience.
Was wondering if maybe this won't change too much for the Phoenix, as aren't they likely to take someone like Boxall instead for the All Whites call up? So yes while we don't lose our starting CB any more to international duty, we will still lose a player?
You'd imagine that without smith both Siggy and Boxall would be in the AW squad if they were available.
Good for the nix, would potentially loose all three centre backs in an international window - wonder if that had anything to do with his decision.
Yup Reid and Smith came in after we qualified. Bit of a shitter, but guess that is football.
From memory he was the one who won 'that corner' against Bahrain. Stampeding run forward.
Even more of a shitter since Smith can't be bothered with the All Whites any more. Couldn't blame him if he was more pissed off about that than anyone.
But as you said, being the model pro he is you never heard a mutter of complaint.
Yup Reid and Smith came in after we qualified. Bit of a shitter, but guess that is football.
From memory he was the one who won 'that corner' against Bahrain. Stampeding run forward.
Even more of a shitter since Smith can't be bothered with the All Whites any more. Couldn't blame him if he was more pissed off about that than anyone.
But as you said, being the model pro he is you never heard a mutter of complaint.
that's a point well made tegal
the boys battled for years to build that team that got to the world cup. smith came in and rode that wave and has disappeared now that the hard work has started again. i'd be pissed if i were siggy
He may not have been the most gifted footballer, but boy did he have commitment to the cause. Key part of that win v Bahrain
.
Got to feel bad for him at times. Gets All Whites to the World Cup. Doesn't play a game in it. Never heard his complain though.
Yep, complete legend in my opinion.
Yup Reid and Smith came in after we qualified. Bit of a shitter, but guess that is football.
From memory he was the one who won 'that corner' against Bahrain. Stampeding run forward.
Even more of a shitter since Smith can't be bothered with the All Whites any more. Couldn't blame him if he was more pissed off about that than anyone.
But as you said, being the model pro he is you never heard a mutter of complaint.
that's a point well made tegal
the boys battled for years to build that team that got to the world cup. smith came in and rode that wave and has disappeared now that the hard work has started again. i'd be pissed if i were siggy
To give Smith a little bit of credit, up until his recent no shows he did make himself available for all games which Nelsen and Reid did not (ONC for example)
Doubt I can recall a player that gave as much effort for the AW's as he did.
Well done Siggy.
Thanx for the contribution Siggy....full on all the time on the field and always displayed passion and committment. Now family first is good...
Secretly loved the elbow on Robbie Kruse (Thanks for the reminder Patrick).
Secretly?
Are you Australian?
Very sad news for all us All Whites fans. Siggy has always been competent, reliable, professional and a true fighter for the white shirt.
One can only appreciate all the sacrifices he made to be part of so many AW squad whilst he didn't get to play as many games as he could (should) have. Great news for Nix fans as a player his age takes longer to recover after an international match and a long flight.
Thanks Siggy - you're awesome!
It's funny that he has been shafted by 3 converts, Smith, Reid and then Durante. I still think right now he's a better player than Durante so I think it's a real pity but understand the reasons
"That" last ditch tackle/block versing Bahrain...legendary.
That stomp in saudi stands outfor me
Have followed his career from a young age here in Christchurch.
Remember him as a key part of the NZ u-17 side which beat Australia in the final of Oceania qualifying for the 1997 FIFA u-17 World Cup on an atrocious, wet, cold, wind-swept ANZAC weekend at QE II Stadium in Christchurch.
One of two Canterbury players in the side - it was fitting fellow Cantabrian Blair Scadden scored the winning goal.
Only Ben of that squad went on to a pro career and has any profile today (though Shaun Easthope has played World Cup qualifiers for Western Samoa, the land of his birth):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_FIFA_U-17_World_...
http://www.rsssf.com/tablesn/nz-u17-intres.html#97
Some of that defeated Aussie u-17 side went on to pro careers and big money like Jason Culina at Ajax and Mark Bresciano in Italy.
I still gleefully remember bumping in to the Aussie side in their blazers in downtown Christchurch a few days before the final and them being rather pissed-off I'd recognized them and chanted at them "You're going to lose...You're going to lose." Arrogance just oozed out of them...Culina was their star and particularly cocky.
Ben had a rocky road to becoming a pro and establishing himself as an All White - there was an incredible seven year gap between his All Whites debut in 2000 under Ken Dugdale and his recall in 2007 by Ricki for the Wales game in Wrexham.
He famously played only one game for the Football Kingz in 2003-4 under Dugdale who didn't seem to rate Ben much. He'd gone to all the trouble of giving up his job in Christchurch to move to Auckland for no real reward.
Previously as a teenager after the 1997 u-17 World Cup Wynton Rufer had secured trials for Ben and Blair Scadden in Germany at Hannover '96 etc. and they stayed on for a few months. Ben also trialled in the UK with no success and was even rejected by a non-league club. I remember football people here being astounded he didn't even pick up an offer from a non-league side. Both he and Blair returned to Christchurch, Blair becoming a successful national league striker. But Blair had met a German girl over there and eventually emigrated, never to return (that I know of). Blair's mum worked at my local 24 hour convenience store (she commented on my All Whites shirt one day - Strangely, Aaron Lines' mum also worked nearby at my local post office and also commented on my shirt - "My son's an All White...") and told me Blair would've liked to have taken a scholarship to a US university but as a solo mum she simply couldn't afford it.
Ben used to get into a lot of strife in his national league days with sometimes multiple red cards in a season. That lack of discipline held him back for a while. But he was such a committed and useful player that Canterbury United managers stuck with him and even made him captain at one stage.
Ben was great with the fans at national league games in Christchurch too and when suspended or injured always looked out for regular fans to talk to, asked how you were and if you were enjoying the game.
Ben is of Czech ancestry on his father's side (his Czech grandfather fled communist Czechoslovakia on skis after the war):
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/110727/grandfath...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/fifa-world-cup/all-wh...
"The Sigmund clan is noted for a feisty, almost rebellious streak.
Ben shows that on the field and it can be traced back to his grandfather's life story..."
Have followed his career from a young age here in Christchurch.
Remember him as a key part of the NZ u-17 side which beat Australia in the final of Oceania qualifying for the 1997 FIFA u-17 World Cup on an atrocious, wet, cold, wind-swept ANZAC weekend at QE II Stadium in Christchurch.
One of two Canterbury players in the side - it was fitting fellow Cantabrian Blair Scadden scored the winning goal.
Only Ben of that squad went on to a pro career and has any profile today (though Shaun Easthope has played World Cup qualifiers for Western Samoa, the land of his birth):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_FIFA_U-17_World_...
http://www.rsssf.com/tablesn/nz-u17-intres.html#97
Some of that defeated Aussie u-17 side went on to pro careers and big money like Jason Culina at Ajax and Mark Bresciano in Italy.
I still gleefully remember bumping in to the Aussie side in their blazers in downtown Christchurch a few days before the final and them being rather pissed-off I'd recognized them and chanted at them "You're going to lose...You're going to lose." Arrogance just oozed out of them...Culina was their star and particularly cocky.
Ben had a rocky road to becoming a pro and establishing himself as an All White - there was an incredible seven year gap between his All Whites debut in 2000 under Ken Dugdale and his recall in 2007 by Ricki for the Wales game in Wrexham.
He famously played only one game for the Football Kingz in 2003-4 under Dugdale who didn't seem to rate Ben much. He'd gone to all the trouble of giving up his job in Christchurch to move to Auckland for no real reward.
Previously as a teenager after the 1997 u-17 World Cup Wynton Rufer had secured trials for Ben and Blair Scadden in Germany at Hannover '96 etc. and they stayed on for a few months. Ben also trialled in the UK with no success and was even rejected by a non-league club. I remember football people here being astounded he didn't even pick up an offer from a non-league side. Both he and Blair returned to Christchurch, Blair becoming a successful national league striker. But Blair had met a German girl over there and eventually emigrated, never to return (that I know of). Blair's mum worked at my local 24 hour convenience store (she commented on my All Whites shirt one day - Strangely, Aaron Lines' mum also worked nearby at my local post office and also commented on my shirt - "My son's an All White...") and told me Blair would've liked to have taken a scholarship to a US university but as a solo mum she simply couldn't afford it.
Ben used to get into a lot of strife in his national league days with sometimes multiple red cards in a season. That lack of discipline held him back for a while. But he was such a committed and useful player that Canterbury United managers stuck with him and even made him captain at one stage.
Ben was great with the fans at national league games in Christchurch too and when suspended or injured always looked out for regular fans to talk to, asked how you were and if you were enjoying the game.
Ben is of Czech ancestry on his father's side (his Czech grandfather fled communist Czechoslovakia on skis after the war):
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/110727/grandfath...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/fifa-world-cup/all-wh...
"The Sigmund clan is noted for a feisty, almost rebellious streak.
Ben shows that on the field and it can be traced back to his grandfather's life story..."
Classic! Reckon you're the man to write the B Sigmund (un)authorised bio BP. Wanna agent?
Doubt I can recall a player that gave as much effort for the AW's as he did.
Well done Siggy.
Chris Jackson comes to mind, along with Steve Sumner
Have followed his career from a young age here in Christchurch.
Remember him as a key part of the NZ u-17 side which beat Australia in the final of Oceania qualifying for the 1997 FIFA u-17 World Cup on an atrocious, wet, cold, wind-swept ANZAC weekend at QE II Stadium in Christchurch.
One of two Canterbury players in the side - it was fitting fellow Cantabrian Blair Scadden scored the winning goal.
Only Ben of that squad went on to a pro career and has any profile today (though Shaun Easthope has played World Cup qualifiers for Western Samoa, the land of his birth):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_FIFA_U-17_World_...
http://www.rsssf.com/tablesn/nz-u17-intres.html#97
Some of that defeated Aussie u-17 side went on to pro careers and big money like Jason Culina at Ajax and Mark Bresciano in Italy.
I still gleefully remember bumping in to the Aussie side in their blazers in downtown Christchurch a few days before the final and them being rather pissed-off I'd recognized them and chanted at them "You're going to lose...You're going to lose." Arrogance just oozed out of them...Culina was their star and particularly cocky.
Ben had a rocky road to becoming a pro and establishing himself as an All White - there was an incredible seven year gap between his All Whites debut in 2000 under Ken Dugdale and his recall in 2007 by Ricki for the Wales game in Wrexham.
He famously played only one game for the Football Kingz in 2003-4 under Dugdale who didn't seem to rate Ben much. He'd gone to all the trouble of giving up his job in Christchurch to move to Auckland for no real reward.
Previously as a teenager after the 1997 u-17 World Cup Wynton Rufer had secured trials for Ben and Blair Scadden in Germany at Hannover '96 etc. and they stayed on for a few months. Ben also trialled in the UK with no success and was even rejected by a non-league club. I remember football people here being astounded he didn't even pick up an offer from a non-league side. Both he and Blair returned to Christchurch, Blair becoming a successful national league striker. But Blair had met a German girl over there and eventually emigrated, never to return (that I know of). Blair's mum worked at my local 24 hour convenience store (she commented on my All Whites shirt one day - Strangely, Aaron Lines' mum also worked nearby at my local post office and also commented on my shirt - "My son's an All White...") and told me Blair would've liked to have taken a scholarship to a US university but as a solo mum she simply couldn't afford it.
Ben used to get into a lot of strife in his national league days with sometimes multiple red cards in a season. That lack of discipline held him back for a while. But he was such a committed and useful player that Canterbury United managers stuck with him and even made him captain at one stage.
Ben was great with the fans at national league games in Christchurch too and when suspended or injured always looked out for regular fans to talk to, asked how you were and if you were enjoying the game.
Ben is of Czech ancestry on his father's side (his Czech grandfather fled communist Czechoslovakia on skis after the war):
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/110727/grandfath...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/fifa-world-cup/all-wh...
"The Sigmund clan is noted for a feisty, almost rebellious streak.
Ben shows that on the field and it can be traced back to his grandfather's life story..."
Good bit of prose but you make it sound like his hung his boots up for good, not just retired from int. football!!!!
Was his stomp his last act as an AW, I can't recall him wearing White since?
P.S. Didn't mike Wilson kind of make it too, played at least semi-pro and made the AWs
Yep Thanks Siggy, always dependable. We'll miss ya, but you'd better not retire from the Nix!!
Tue, 07 Oct 2014 4:48a.m.
Phoenix defender and former All White Ben Sigmund explains his decision to walk away from international football at 33.
http://www.radiolivesport.co.nz/Ben-Sigmund/tabid/454/articleID/20646/Default.aspx