View source for Alexander Widiker

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Alexander Widiker
| image = 
| caption =
| birth_name = Alexander Widiker
| nickname = ''Snakko''
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1982|04|27}}
| birth_place = [[Kostanay]], Kazakhstan
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = {{height|m=1.72}}
| weight = {{convert|110|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
| ru_position = [[Prop (rugby union)|Prop]]
| ru_amateuryears =
| ru_amateurclubs = TB Rohrbach <br/>[[SC Neuenheim]]
| ru_amupdate =
| ru_clubyears = 2006–2010 <br/> 2010–
| ru_proclubs = {{nobreak|[[RC Orléans]] <br/>[[Heidelberger RK]]}}
| ru_clubcaps = 65 <br/> 33
| ru_clubpoints = (35) <br/> (45)
| ru_clubupdate = 
| ru_nationalyears = 2000-2015
| ru_nationalteam = [[Germany national rugby union team|Germany]]
| ru_nationalcaps = 59
| ru_nationalpoints =
| ru_ntupdate = 
| ru_sevensnationalyears =
| ru_sevensnationalteam =
| ru_sevensnationalcaps(points) =
| ru_sevensupdate =
| ru_sevensnationalcomp  =
| ru_coachclubs =
| ru_coachyears =
| ru_coachupdate =
| other =
| occupation =
| family =
| spouse =
| children =
| relatives =
| school =
| university =
}}

'''Alexander Widiker''' (born 27 April 1982)<ref name="Drv" >[http://www.rugby-verband.de/?data&#91;pageid&#93;=12&data&#91;newsid&#93;=r01cqe Alexander Widiker profile] {{de icon}} at the ''[[German Rugby Federation|DRV]]'' website, accessed: 21 March 2011</ref> is a German [[List of Germany national rugby union players|international]] [[rugby union]] player, playing for [[Heidelberger RK]] in the [[Rugby-Bundesliga]] and, formerly, the [[German national rugby union team]].<ref name=Alex >[http://www.totalrugby.de/component/option,com_joomleague/func,showPlayer/p,6/pid,32/Itemid,250/ Alexander Widiker] {{de icon}} totalrugby.de, accessed: 27 February 2010</ref>

Widiker played in the 2011 and 2012 German championship final for Heidelberger RK, which the club both won, with Widiker scoring a try in the 2011 game.

Widiker is one of the few German players who has successfully played abroad. From 2006 to 2010, he played for the [[RC Orléans]] in the [[Fédérale 1]], alongside two other German internationals, the brothers [[Matthieu Franke|Matthieu]] and [[Guillaume Franke]].<ref>[http://www.totalrugby.de/content/view/1635/37/ DRV-Stürmer Alexander Widiker verlängert in Orléans] {{de icon}} totalrugby.de, published: 5 June 2009, accessed: 27 February 2010</ref> In his last season with ''RCO'' he was also the teams captain.<ref name="Drv" />

==Biography==
Widiker was born 27 April 1982 in [[Kostanay]], [[Kazakhstan]], as one of three children as an ethnic German in Kazakhstan in 1982. His parents, Friedrich and Emilia Widiker, are of [[Volga German]] descent. Widiker's grandparents were forcefully removed from the former [[Volga German Republic]] to Kazakhstan. When Widiker was eleven years old, his family moved to Germany. Initially, the family moved to [[Bramsche]] in Lower Saxony but was then allocated accommodation in [[Leipzig]]. Eventually, the family chose to move to [[Wiesloch]], near [[Heidelberg]].<ref name="Drv" />

Widiker, who played association football, [[ice hockey]] and basketball in Kazakhstan, only began playing rugby when going to school in Germany. He joined the TB Rohrbach, which later merged its youth team with the [[SC Neuenheim]], where he made his debut in the senior team at the age of 17. He played for the German Under-17 and Under-19 team, taking part in two world championships, before making his debut for the senior side on 21 October 2001 against Sweden.<ref name="Drv" />

Before moving to France, Widiker, who has been playing rugby since 1994, won two German championships with his former club, SC Neuenheim, in 2003 and 2004.<ref name="Alex"/>

Widiker was scheduled to return to Germany for the 2010–11 season to play for SC Neuenheim once more,<ref>[http://www.totalrugby.de/content/view/394/41/ TotalRugby Wechselbörse] {{de icon}} totalrugby.de, accessed: 30 April 2010</ref> but instead joint [[Heidelberger RK]]. He is also the new German captain, leading the team for the first time on 20 November 2010 against Poland.<ref>[http://www.rugby-journal.de/index.php/basis/meldung/widiker_fuer_mich_zaehlt_nur_der_aufstieg/ Widiker: “Für mich zählt nur der Aufstieg”] {{de icon}} ''[[Rugby-Journal]]'', published: 19 November 2010, accessed: 21 November 2010</ref>

With the final game against Moldova, Alexander Widiker played his 50th game for his country, thereby equaling [[Horst Kemmling]]'s record of number of internationals for the ''DRV''.<ref>[http://www.rugby-verband.de/?data&#91;pageid&#93;=12&data&#91;newsid&#93;=zi6d8r Rekord für Snakko] {{de icon}} ''[[German Rugby Federation|DRV]]'' website, accessed: 7 April 2012</ref> He overtook Kemmling's record when he played his 51st game against the Ukraine on 27 October 2012.<ref>[http://www.totalrugby.de/content/view/5692/37/ Deutsche 15er-Herren gewinnen EM-Auftakt gegen Ukraine] {{de icon}} totalrugby.de, published: 27 October 2012, accessed: 1 November 2012</ref>

Widiker retired from international rugby after a record 58 games for Germany after a 76–12 win against the Czech Republic in April 2014, citing increased personal and business commitments as his reason.<ref>[http://www.totalrugby.de/content/view/6725/37/ Der Kapitän geht von Bord] {{de icon}} totalrugby.de, published: 4 April 2014, accessed: 24 April 2014</ref> He however returned to the German team one more time in May in the decisive world cup qualifier against Russia which Germany lost.<ref>[http://www.abendblatt.de/sport/welt-des-sports/article128344246/Deutschland-kaempft-in-Hamburg-gegen-Russland-um-das-WM-Ticket.html Deutschland kämpft in Hamburg gegen Russland um das WM-Ticket] {{de icon}} ''[[Hamburger Abendblatt]]'', published: 23 May 2014, accessed: 25 May 2014</ref>

==Honours==

===Club===
* '''[[German rugby union championship]]'''
** '''Champions''': 2003, 2004, [[Rugby-Bundesliga 2010-11|2011]], 2012, 2013
* '''[[German rugby union cup]]'''
** '''Winners''': 2001, 2011

===National team===
* '''[[European Nations Cup (rugby union)|European Nations Cup]] – Division 2'''
** '''Champions''': [[2006-2008 European Nations Cup Second Division|2008]]

==Stats==
Alexander Widiker's personal statistics in club and international rugby:<ref name="Alex"/><ref>[http://www.itsrugby.fr/joueur_6753.html Widiker Alexander] {{fr icon}} itsrugby.fr, accessed: 27 February 2010</ref>

===Club===
{| class="wikitable"
|- align="center" bgcolor="#dfdfdf"
| '''Year'''
| '''Team'''
| '''Competition'''
| '''Games'''
| '''Points'''
| '''Place'''
|- align="center"
| 2006–07
| rowspan=4| [[RC Orléans]]
| rowspan=4| [[Fédérale 1]]
| 17
| 5
|
|- align="center"
| 2007–08
| 10
| 5
|
|- align="center"
| 2008–09
| 17
| 15
|
|- align="center"
| 2009–10
| 21
| 10
|
|- align="center"
| [[Rugby-Bundesliga 2010–11|2010–11]]
| rowspan=4| [[Heidelberger RK]]
| rowspan=4| [[Rugby-Bundesliga]]
| 17
| 30
| bgcolor="#FFD700"| 1st – Champions
|- align="center"
| [[Rugby-Bundesliga 2011–12|2011–12]]
| 16
| 15
| bgcolor="#FFD700"| 1st – Champions
|- align="center"
| [[Rugby-Bundesliga 2012–13|2012–13]]
| 
| 
| bgcolor="#FFD700"| 1st – Champions
|- align="center"
| [[Rugby-Bundesliga 2013–14|2013–14]]
| 
| 
| 
|}
* <small>''As of 4 December 2013''</small>

===National team===

====European Nations Cup====
{| class="wikitable"
|- align="center" bgcolor="#dfdfdf"
| '''Year'''
| '''Team'''
| '''Competition'''
| '''Games'''
| '''Points'''
| '''Place'''
|- align="center"
| [[2006-2008 European Nations Cup Second Division|2006–2008]]
| [[Germany at the 2006-08 European Nations Cup|Germany]]
| [[European Nations Cup (rugby union)|European Nations Cup Second Division]]
| 8
| 0
| bgcolor="#FFD700"| Champions
|- align="center"
| [[2008-2010 European Nations Cup First Division|2008–2010]]
| [[Germany at the 2008-10 European Nations Cup|Germany]]
| European Nations Cup First Division
| 10
| 0
| 6th – Relegated
|- align="center"
| [[2010–2012 European Nations Cup First Division|2010–2012]]
| [[Germany at the 2010–12 European Nations Cup|Germany]]
| European Nations Cup Division 1B
| 10
| 5
| 4th
|- align="center"
| [[2012-2014 European Nations Cup First Division|2012–2014]]
| Germany
| European Nations Cup Division 1B
| 8
| 15
| ''ongoing''
|}

====Friendlies & other competitions====
{| class="wikitable"
|- align="center" bgcolor="#dfdfdf"
| '''Year'''
| '''Team'''
| '''Competition'''
| '''Games'''
| '''Points'''
|- align="center"
| 2007
| rowspan=3| [[Germany national rugby union team|Germany]]
| rowspan=3| Friendly
| 1
| 0
|- align="center"
| 2008
| 1
| 0
|- align="center"
| 2010
| 1
| 5
|}
* <small>''As of 24 April 2014''</small>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.scrum.com/statsguru/rugby/player/91288.html Alexander Widiker] at scrum.com
* {{de icon}}  [http://www.totalrugby.de/component/option,com_joomleague/func,showPlayer/p,6/pid,32/Itemid,250/ Alexander Widiker] at totalrugby.de
* {{de icon}} [http://www.rugby-verband.de/?data&#91;pageid&#93;=51&data&#91;subpage&#93;=spielkader&data&#91;kader&#93;=1&data&#91;playerid&#93;=i1q4iz Alexander Widiker] at the ''[[German Rugby Federation|DRV]]'' website

{{Germany Squad 2006-2008 ENC Second Division}}
{{Germany Squad 2008-2010 ENC First Division}}
{{Germany Squad 2010-2012 ENC First Division}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Widiker, Alexander}}
[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:German rugby union players]]
[[Category:Germany international rugby union players]]
[[Category:Expatriate rugby union players in France]]
[[Category:RC Orléans players]]
[[Category:SC Neuenheim players]]
[[Category:Heidelberger RK players]]
[[Category:Rugby union props]]
[[Category:People from Kostanay]]
[[Category:People of Volga German descent]]
[[Category:Kazakhstani people of German descent]]
[[Category:German expatriate rugby union players]]
[[Category:German expatriates in France]]
[[Category:Kazakhstani emigrants to Germany]]