View source for Ben Sigmund

{{short description|New Zealand footballer}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name           = Ben Sigmund
| image          = Ben Sigmund.jpg
| image_size     = 150
| caption        = Sigmund playing for [[Wellington Phoenix FC|Wellington Phoenix]] in 2008
| fullname       = Benjamin Robert Sigmund
| birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1981|2|3|df=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Blenheim, New Zealand|Blenheim]], [[Marlborough Region|Marlborough]], New Zealand
| height         = 1.87 m<ref name = "SW"/>
| position       = [[Defender (football)|Centre Back]]
| youthyears1 =  –1998 |youthclubs1 =  [[Christchurch United]]
| years1   = 1998–2002 |clubs1 = [[Christchurch United]]<ref name="stuff.co.nz">{{cite web |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/3060167/All-Whites-pair-united-by-Christchurch |title=All Whites pair united by Christchurch |author=Smith, Tony |date=13 November 2009 |publisher=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |access-date=19 September 2011}}</ref>                                                           |caps1 = 76   |goals1 = 14
| years2   = 2003–2004 |clubs2 = [[Football Kingz]]                                             |caps2 = 1    |goals2 = 0
| years3   = 2004–2006 |clubs3 = [[Canterbury United]]                                          |caps3 = 83   |goals3 = 7
| years4   = 2006      |clubs4 = [[Fawkner Blues]]                                              |caps4 = 11   |goals4 = 1
| years5   = 2006–2008 |clubs5 = [[Auckland City FC|Auckland City]]                             |caps5 = 43   |goals5 = 5
| years6   = 2008–2016 |clubs6 = [[Wellington Phoenix FC|Wellington Phoenix]] |caps6 = 181  |goals6 = 7
| years7   = 2016      |clubs7 = [[Wellington Phoenix FC Reserves|Wellington Phoenix Reserves]] |caps7 = 1    |goals7 = 0
| years8   = 2016     |clubs8 = [[Cashmere Wanderers|Cashmere Technical]]                      |caps8 =      |goals8 = 
| totalcaps =  | totalgoals = 
| nationalyears1 = 1999
| nationalyears2 =
| nationalyears3 = 2000–2014
| nationalteam1  = [[New Zealand national under-17 football team|New Zealand U17]]
| nationalteam2  = [[New Zealand national under-20 football team|New Zealand U20]]
| nationalteam3  = [[New Zealand national football team|New Zealand]]
| nationalcaps1  = 3
| nationalcaps2  = 12
| nationalcaps3  = 31
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalgoals3 = 2
}}
'''Benjamin Robert Sigmund''' (born 3 February 1981<ref name = "SW">{{Soccerway|ben-sigmund/22232}}</ref>) is a New Zealand former international [[association football|footballer]]. He represented New Zealand at [[New Zealand national under-17 football team|under-17]], [[New Zealand national under-20 football team|under-20]] and [[New Zealand national football team|senior]] level.

==Club career==
Born in [[Blenheim, New Zealand|Blenheim]], Sigmund spent his early career with [[Football Kingz]], [[Canterbury United]], [[Fawkner Blues]] and [[Auckland City FC|Auckland City]]. He signed for the [[Wellington Phoenix FC|Wellington Phoenix]] in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/73487,phoenix-sign-sigmund-as-final-defender.aspx |title=Phoenix Sign Sigmund As Final Defender |access-date=8 April 2008 |archive-date=4 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104055729/http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/73487,phoenix-sign-sigmund-as-final-defender.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 9 July 2012 he signed a two-year contract extension keep him with the club until 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/a-league/news/1112586/Sigmund-extends-Phoenix-stay |title=Sigmund extends Phoenix stay : A League : The World Game on SBS |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230232424/http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/a-league/news/1112586/Sigmund-extends-Phoenix-stay |archive-date=30 December 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 18 December 2015, Sigmund announced that he would retire from professional football at the end of the season.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/75252917/wellington-phoenix-defender-ben-sigmund-to-retire-at-end-of-aleague-season|title=Wellington Phoenix defender Ben Sigmund to retire at end of A-League season|publisher=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]]|first=Hamish|last=Bidwell|date=18 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/78710712/ben-sigmunds-colourful-professional-football-career-comes-to-an-end|title=Ben Sigmund's colourful professional football career comes to an end|publisher=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]]|first=Liam|last=Hyslop|date=8 April 2016}}</ref>

He subsequently joined amateur side [[Cashmere Wanderers|Cashmere Technical]] in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/sigmund-looks-to-sign-off-with-cup-glory/|title=Sigmund looks to sign off with cup glory|publisher=[[Football New Zealand]]|access-date=24 June 2016|date=24 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160626111823/http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/sigmund-looks-to-sign-off-with-cup-glory/|archive-date=26 June 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==International career==
Sigmund made his senior international debut as a substitute in August 2000 against [[Oman national football team|Oman]], but did not earn a second cap until 2007,<ref name="alup">{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/NZRepSoccer/id1559.htm|title=A-International Lineups|publisher=The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website|access-date=12 February 2009}}</ref> where he earned a call up to play [[Wales national football team|Wales]] in [[Wrexham]] after nearly seven years in the football wilderness.
On 6 September 2008 Sigmund scored his first international goal in a 3–1 win over [[New Caledonia national football team|New Caledonia]] with a header from a corner.<ref name="alup" />

Sigmund was named as part of the [[2009 FIFA Confederations Cup]] New Zealand squad to travel to South Africa,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofcnewsdetails/new-zealand---all-whites-name-squad-for-fifa-confederations-cup|title=New Zealand – All Whites name Confederations Cup squad|publisher=Oceania Football confederation|date=7 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624071249/http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofcnewsdetails/new-zealand---all-whites-name-squad-for-fifa-confederations-cup|archive-date=24 June 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/teams/team=43978/squadlist.html|title=2009 Confederations Cup – New Zealand squad|publisher=FIFA|access-date=9 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090613002745/http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/teams/team%3D43978/squadlist.html|archive-date=13 June 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> and was more recently in the side the beat Bahrain in the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]] qualification match on 14 November 2009.

On 10 May 2010, Sigmund was named in New Zealand's final 23-man squad to compete at the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]].<ref name=aws2010>{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/3676399/All-Whites-World-Cup-squad-named|title=All Whites World Cup squad named|publisher=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]]|access-date=10 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603071055/http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/3676399/All-Whites-World-Cup-squad-named|archive-date=3 June 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 29 September 2014, Sigmund retired from international football citing his desire to spend more time with his family.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/article/sigmund-calls-time-on-all-whites-career/1o9mtbn38776r1uumymcx8j7nn|title=Sigmund Calls Time on All Whites Career|first=Russell|last=Gray|publisher=[[Football Federation Australia]]|date=29 September 2014}}</ref>

==Honours==
'''Personal Honours:'''
* [[Wellington Phoenix]] Member's Player of the Year: [[Wellington Phoenix season 2008-09|2008–2009]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/default.aspx?s%3Daleague_newsdisplay%26id%3D26606 |title=News Display |access-date=2009-08-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301024959/http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/default.aspx?s=aleague_newsdisplay&id=26606 |archive-date=1 March 2011 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/107374705/former-all-white-ben-sigmund-lends-helping-hand-to-kiwi-kids Ben Sigmund Interview] 
* {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718025744/http://www.wellingtonphoenix.com/default.aspx?s=wellfc_playerprofile_item&pid=1635 |date=18 July 2011 |title=Wellington Phoenix profile }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120508211049/http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/index.php?id=317 NZF – All White profile]
* {{FIFA player|195256}}
* {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100630030222/http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/players/player%3D195256/profile.html |date=30 June 2010 |title=Confederation Cup profile }}

{{Wellington Phoenix FC Player of the Year}}
{{Navboxes
|title = New Zealand Squads
|bg = white
|fg = black
|list1 =
{{New Zealand squad 2008 OFC Nations Cup}}
{{New Zealand squad 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup}}
{{New Zealand squad 2010 FIFA World Cup}}
{{New Zealand squad 2012 OFC Nations Cup}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sigmund, Ben}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:New Zealand men's association footballers]]
[[Category:New Zealand men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Canterbury United Dragons players]]
[[Category:Football Kingz FC players]]
[[Category:Auckland City FC players]]
[[Category:Wellington Phoenix FC players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Blenheim, New Zealand]]
[[Category:A-League Men players]]
[[Category:New Zealand Football Championship players]]
[[Category:Men's association football central defenders]]
[[Category:2008 OFC Nations Cup players]]
[[Category:OFC Nations Cup–winning players]]
[[Category:2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players]]
[[Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:2012 OFC Nations Cup players]]
[[Category:21st-century New Zealand sportsmen]]