Arachnidz (New Zealand Paintball Team)
Arachnidz is a New Zealand competitive paintball team documented in tournament records between 2009 and 2017.[1][8] Earlier records used the spelling Arachnids; both spellings refer to the same team. Arachnidz won the 2010 Hawke’s Bay Triples and achieved third-place finishes at the 2011 NZPPL Rotorua Tournament and the opening event of the 2012 NZPPL Super 5 Man Series.[2][3][4]
Tournament history
[edit]The team's first confirmed result in the recovered records is third place in Division 2 at the 2009 Queen's Birthday Tournament (Palmerston North), held at Aces High Paintball on 30–31 May 2009.[1] A later announcement listed Arachnids among six teams interested in the four-round Aces High Race to 3 series scheduled from November 2009 to February 2010, but the expression of interest does not establish participation.[5]
Arachnids won the 2010 Hawke’s Bay Triples. A contemporary scoreboard photographed on 7 February records the team first with 1,300 points, ahead of Aces on 1,250 and Happy Meal A on 1,190.[2]
At the 2011 NZPPL Rotorua Tournament on 4–5 June, Arachnids led the day-one standings with 884 points and finished third in the Cup.[3] A contemporary forum profile used by Chris “Rosey” identified Arachnids among the teams for which he had played.[6]
The spelling “Arachnidz” appears in a participant-reported result from the opening round of the 2012 NZPPL Super 5 Man Series, held at Lock N Load Paintball in Auckland on 7–8 April. The team was reported in third place behind ADHD and DU.[4] The source qualified the order as being recalled by the contributor rather than copied from an official result sheet.
In 2013, Arachnidz competed in the Cup division of the first two NZPPL Super 5 Man events. The team placed fifth at 2013 NZPPL Super 5 Man Event 1 in Waikanae and third at 2013 NZPPL Super 5 Man Event 2 in Paraparaumu.[7]
PBLeagues later recorded Arachnidz as a paid entry in Division 4 at 2017 New Zealand Local Series Event 1, scheduled at Aces High Paintball in Palmerston North on 12 February.[8][9] The surviving record includes the team in the match schedule but provides no final placing; it therefore does not establish a tournament result.
Recorded results
[edit]| Date | Event | Division or format | Recorded result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30–31 May 2009 | 2009 Queen's Birthday Tournament (Palmerston North) | Division 2 | 3rd[1] |
| 7 February 2010 | 2010 Hawke’s Bay Triples | Three-player | 1st; 1,300 points[2] |
| 4–5 June 2011 | 2011 NZPPL Rotorua Tournament | Cup | 3rd[3] |
| 7–8 April 2012 | NZPPL Super 5 Man Event 1 | Five-player | 3rd, participant-reported[4] |
| 9–10 March 2013 | 2013 NZPPL Super 5 Man Event 1 | Cup | 5th[7] |
| 1–2 June 2013 | 2013 NZPPL Super 5 Man Event 2 | Cup | 3rd[7] |
Identity
[edit]Tournament sources used “Arachnids” from 2009 to 2011 and “Arachnidz” from 2012 onwards. A contributor familiar with the team confirms that the records refer to the same team and that the 2017 entry was a continuation of that identity.
Arachnidz and Skullz were separate entries at the 2009 Queen's Birthday Tournament, the 2010 Hawke’s Bay Triples and the first two 2013 NZPPL Super 5 Man events.[1][2][7] A possible historical connection involving Steve Corkill has been recalled, but its nature has not been established by a contemporary roster or organisational source. The teams should therefore not be described as interchangeable or as a confirmed predecessor and successor.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- NZ P8NT: “2009 Queen's Day Tournament Placings and Thank You”, final placings posted 5 June 2009; archived 18 February 2013.
- 2010 Hawke's Bay Triples scoreboard photograph, L. M. Bennett, photographed 7 February 2010.
- NZ P8NT: “Scores from Rotorua”, day-one scores and reported final placings, 5–6 June 2011; archived 7 February 2013.
- NZ P8NT: 2012 NZPPL opening-event discussion, participant-reported placings, 8 April 2012; archived 6 February 2013.
- NZ P8NT: “Aces High Race to 3 Series”, expression-of-interest list and proposed series details; archived 18 February 2013.
- NZ P8NT: “2009 Queen's Birthday Tournament — Palmerston North”, contemporary forum profile identifying Chris “Rosey” with Arachnids; archived 7 February 2013.
- NZPPL: 2013 Series Rankings, official Event 1 and Event 2 standings; archived 28 October 2013.
- PBLeagues: NZLS Event #1 Aces High Paintball — event information, accessed 26 October 2026.
- PBLeagues: NZLS Event #1 Aces High Paintball — team entries, paid-entry record; accessed 26 October 2026.