{{Infobox rugby biography | name = Manuel Wilhelm | image = | caption = | birth_name = Manuel Wilhelm | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|12|15|df=y}} | birth_place = Ludwigsburg, Germany | death_date = | death_place = | height = {{convert|1.92|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|108|kg|stlb|abbr=on}} | position = Number 8, Lock | amatyears1 = | amatteam1 = | ru_amupdate = | years1 = | clubs1 = RGH | clubs2 = SCN | clubs3 = Valencia | clubs4 = RGH | apps1 = | points1 = | ru_clubupdate = 21 March 2010 | repyears1 = 2003-2014 | repteam1 = Germany | repcaps1 = 46 | reppoints1 = 20 | ru_ntupdate = 4 December 2013 }}
'''Manuel Wilhelm''' (born 15 December 1980 in Ludwigsburg)<ref>[http://www.scrum.com/statsguru/rugby/player/91290.html Manuel Wilhelm profile at scrum.com] accessed: 28 February 2010</ref> is a German international rugby union player, playing for the RG Heidelberg in the Rugby-Bundesliga and the German national rugby union team.
Manuel Wilhelm plays rugby since 1986, first for RG Heidelberg, later he spent one season with league rival SC Neuenheim, before he went back to his club of origin RG Heidelberg. After his military service Wilhelm played one season for CAU Valencia in the first Spanish division, before returning to RG Heidelberg. He won two German championships (15s) with the later, in 2006 and 2007, five 7s-championships in 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2009 and the German cup in 2004. He also plays beach rugby for ''The Romantics B.R.F.C.''.<ref name=Manuel >[http://www.totalrugby.de/component/option,com_joomleague/func,showPlayer/p,6/pid,30/Itemid,250/ Manuel Wilhelm profile totalrugby.de] {{in lang|de}} accessed: 28 February 2010</ref>
He was first called up for the German national team in 2000 but could not play because of injury and did not make his debut for Germany until 2003, in a game against Sweden.<ref name="Port" >[http://www.totalrugby.de/content/view/5993/37/ Deutschland vs. Schweden: Rugby-Nationalspieler Manuel Wilhelm im Porträt] {{in lang|de}} published: 3 April 2013, accessed: 27 April 2013</ref>
He is the founder of Germany's biggest rugby website, TotalRugby.de.<ref>[http://www.olympic-rugby.org/news/olympic-rugby-expert-opinions-germany Olympic rugby Expert opinions: Germany] olympic-rugby.org, Interview with Manuel Wilhelm, accessed: 28 February 2010</ref>
In 2012, Wilhelm proposed a reform of the German league system which was approved at the ''Deutsche Rugby Tag'', the annual general meeting of the ''DRV'', in mid-July 2012. The new system will see the number of clubs in the Bundesliga increased from ten to 24, the league divided into four regional divisions of six clubs each and the finals series expanded from four to eight teams.<ref>[http://www.totalrugby.de/content/view/5464/169/ DRT 2012: Ligareform kommt / Vertrag mit DRV-Vermarkter wird überprüft] {{in lang|de}} totalrugby.de, published: 16 July 2012, accessed: 24 July 2012</ref><ref>[http://www.rugby-verband.de/?data[pageid]=12&data[newsid]=68p39g DRT] {{in lang|de}} ''DRV'' website, published: 16 July 2012, accessed: 24 July 2012</ref>
Wilhelm's father is from Ghana while his mother is German.<ref name="Port" />
==Honours==
===Club=== * '''German rugby union championship''' ** '''Champions''': 2006, 2007 ** '''Runners up''': 1999, 2001, 2002, 2008 * '''German rugby union cup''' ** '''Winners''': 2004
===National team=== * '''European Nations Cup - Division 2''' ** '''Champions''': 2008
==Stats== Manuel Wilhelm's personal statistics in club and international rugby:<ref name="Manuel"/>
===Club=== {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Club ! Division ! Games ! Tries ! Con ! Pen ! DG ! Place |- align="center" | 2007-08 | rowspan=7| RG Heidelberg | rowspan=7| Rugby-Bundesliga | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | bgcolor=silver| 2nd — Runners-up |- align="center" | 2008-09 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5th |- align="center" | 2009-10 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2nd — Semi-finals |- align="center" | 2010-11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4th — Semi-finals |- align="center" | 2011-12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6th |- align="center" | 2012-13 | | | | | | 4th — Semi finals |- align="center" | 2013-14 | | | | | | |} * <small>''As of 4 December 2013''</small>
===National team===
====European Nations Cup==== {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Team ! Competition ! Games ! Points ! Place |- align="center" | 2006-2008 | Germany | European Nations Cup Second Division | 7 | 0 | bgcolor="#FFD700"| Champions |- align="center" | 2008-2010 | Germany | European Nations Cup First Division | 10 | 0 | 6th — Relegated |- align="center" | 2010–2012 | Germany | European Nations Cup Division 1B | 1 | 0 | 4th |- align="center" | 2012–2014 | Germany | European Nations Cup Division 1B | 7 | 15 | ''ongoing'' |}
====Friendlies & other competitions==== {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Team ! Competition ! Games ! Points |- align="center" | 2008 | rowspan=2| Germany | rowspan=2| Friendly | 1 | 0 |- align="center" | 2009 | 1 | 0 |} * <small>''As of 4 December 2013''</small>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.scrum.com/statsguru/rugby/player/91290.html Manuel Wilhelm] at scrum.com * {{in lang|de}} [http://www.totalrugby.de/component/option,com_joomleague/func,showPlayer/p,6/pid,30/Itemid,250/ Manuel Wilhelm] at totalrugby.de
{{Germany Squad 2006-2008 ENC Second Division}} {{Germany Squad 2008-2010 ENC First Division}} {{Germany Squad 2010-2012 ENC First Division}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilhelm, Manuel}} Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Ludwigsburg Category:German people of Ghanaian descent Category:Sportspeople of Ghanaian descent Category:German rugby union players Category:Germany international rugby union players Category:SC Neuenheim players Category:RG Heidelberg players Category:Rugby union locks