Expendables Feilding
Expendables Feilding, also known as Expendables or NZ Expendables, is a competitive paintball team from Feilding, in the Manawatū region of New Zealand. Founded by David Hopkins, the team has competed internationally in New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Europe and the United States.
Expendables has participated in several major tournament circuits, including the Millennium Series, NXL Europe, the Australian Super 7's Paintball Series, the Paintball Asia League Series (PALS) and the National Xball League (NXL).
The team's major achievements include winning the 2017 Millennium Series Semi-Professional championship, the 2018 Australian Super 7's Professional season championship, and the 2018 NXL Europe Prague Open Professional division. Expendables also finished second in the Professional division at World Cup Asia 2018 in Malaysia.
The team has been associated with several members of the American professional paintball team San Diego Dynasty, who competed with Expendables during its European campaigns.
Expendables maintains historical connections with Arena Paintball and Manawatu Titans, another internationally active competitive team based in Feilding.
History
[edit]Formation and early development
[edit]Expendables was founded by David Hopkins in Feilding, New Zealand.
The team developed within the competitive paintball community of the Manawatū region, initially participating in domestic New Zealand tournaments before expanding into international competition.
The team's historical PBLeagues registration is dated 2 January 2015, with Feilding recorded as its home town and Run and Gun Feilding identified as its associated playing field. [1]
The registration represents an early surviving documentary record of Expendables, although the exact date of the team's establishment has not been independently confirmed.
By 2015, Expendables was competing in organised Auckland paintball tournaments.
The team subsequently developed an international competition programme involving regular travel to Australia and Europe.
Expansion into international competition
[edit]Expendables entered the Australian Super 7's Professional division by 2016.
During this period, the team developed relationships with experienced international professional players and coaches.
These relationships became important to its participation in the 2017 Millennium Series, where Expendables assembled a multinational roster combining New Zealand and Australian players with established American professionals.
Fundraising for European competition
[edit]In April 2017, David and Diane Hopkins established a fundraising campaign through the New Zealand platform Givealittle to help finance Expendables' European competition programme.
The campaign described Expendables as a Feilding-based team already competing in Australia and Europe.
It reported that the team had won the opening round of both tournament series during 2017. [2]
The fundraising campaign sought financial assistance towards travel and accommodation costs for the remaining European tournaments.
The campaign provides contemporary evidence of the financial challenges involved in maintaining an international tournament programme from New Zealand.
San Diego Dynasty collaboration
[edit]Origins of the relationship
[edit]Expendables developed a significant competitive relationship with members of San Diego Dynasty, one of the leading professional paintball teams in the United States.
American professional player Ryan Greenspan documented the relationship in a series of firsthand accounts published during 2017.
According to Greenspan, Dynasty players had increasingly participated as guest players on European teams after the costs of entering a complete Dynasty roster in overseas competitions became less economically viable.
Expendables recruited Greenspan, Marcello Margott and Yosh Rau to join its 2017 Millennium Series roster. [3]
Greenspan also identified Blake Yarber as having coached Expendables for approximately two years before the 2017 European campaign.
The arrangement combined an established New Zealand team with experienced American professional players.
The team's association with Dynasty was sufficiently prominent that contemporary tournament reporting sometimes identified the entry as "Expendables Feilding (Dynasty)". [4]
International player development
[edit]The collaboration extended beyond occasional appearances by American players.
Greenspan and Margott described the development of the team's New Zealand players through regular exposure to European competition and professional-level training.
The American participants brought experience gained through the NXL and previous international tournaments.
Expendables also provided an opportunity for American professionals to compete in Europe while representing a New Zealand-based team.
The relationship contributed to the team's successful 2017 Millennium Series campaign and its subsequent entry into NXL Europe's professional division in 2018.
Dynasty players associated with Expendables
[edit]American professional players documented in Expendables' international rosters included:
All five appeared on the team's official PBLeagues roster for the 2018 NXL Europe Prague Open. [5]
Other internationally recognised participants included Rusty Glaze, who was registered as team staff at several European events.
The relationship represented an example of professional players from an established American organisation supporting the development of an international team while competing under its New Zealand identity.
Players and team personnel
[edit]New Zealand players and organisers
[edit]The following New Zealand players have been documented in the team's history:
- David Hopkins - Team founder and organiser. Registered as a player at the 2018 NXL Europe Chartres, Basildon-London and Paris-Chantilly events.
- Thomas Hopkins - New Zealand player documented in the team's 2017 European campaign and registered at the 2018 Prague and Paris-Chantilly Opens.
- Ivan Christison - New Zealand player registered at all four 2018 NXL Europe events. Also identified in contemporary reporting by Ryan Greenspan, which used the spelling Christiansen.
The listed players were involved in different periods and events. Their inclusion does not indicate participation in every tournament entered by Expendables.
International players
[edit]Expendables has included players from multiple countries.
Documented international participants include:
- Ryan Greenspan (United States)
- Marcello Margott (United States)
- Yosh Rau (United States)
- Tyler Harmon (United States)
- Blake Yarber (United States)
- Matthew Kling (Australia)
- Laura Bolam (United Kingdom)
Matthew Kling was registered at all four 2018 NXL Europe events.
Laura Bolam was registered as staff at the Basildon-London Open and as a player at the Paris-Chantilly Open.
The international roster changed between tournaments, and participation at one event should not be treated as proof of participation at every subsequent competition.
Coaching and staff
[edit]The team's documented coaching and support personnel have included:
- David Hopkins - Founder and team organiser; also a registered tournament player.
- Blake Yarber - American professional player and coach associated with the team's development before and during its European campaigns.
- Rusty Glaze - Registered team staff at the 2018 Chartres, Prague and Basildon-London Opens.
- Laura Bolam - Registered team staff at the 2018 Basildon-London Open and player at the Paris-Chantilly Open.
The PBLeagues registration for the 2018 Basildon-London Open lists Rusty Glaze as staff but does not record him as checked in.
These roles reflect individual tournament records and should not be interpreted as continuous appointments throughout the team's history.
New Zealand competition
[edit]Auckland Paintball Cup 2015
[edit]Expendables competed in the Auckland Paintball Cup on 7 and 8 March 2015.
The team entered the Open X-Ball division and finished third among seven entrants, according to its historical PBLeagues record. [1]
Asylum Paintball Cup 2015
[edit]Expendables returned to Auckland for the Asylum Paintball Cup on 26 and 27 September 2015.
The team competed in the Open X-Ball division.
Original match records document a 3-2 victory against Phoenix Tahiti and a 2-2 draw against Hard2Overcome.
The historical results also show matches against Auckland Faction, ADHD, HK Reaper Crew and Hijinx. [6]
The complete final tournament placing has not been established.
Auckland Paintball Cup 2016
[edit]Expendables competed in the Auckland Paintball Cup on 16 and 17 April 2016.
The team entered Division 2 X-Ball and finished second among eight entrants.
Its official match results included a 5-1 victory against Phoenix Tahiti and a 4-3 victory against ADHD.
Expendables advanced to the championship final against Disposal Unit, losing 4-2. [7]
The event represented another podium finish in the New Zealand tournament circuit.
Asylum Paintball Cup 2016
[edit]Expendables participated in the Asylum Paintball Cup on 3 and 4 September 2016.
The team competed in Division 2 X-Ball.
Its registration is documented through PBLeagues, although the final placing has not been recovered. [1]
New Zealand Race Series 2023
[edit]Expendables competed in the New Zealand Race Series during 2023.
The team included international guest players, including Tahitian competitor Ralph Tsing.
Tsing represented Expendables in the first two rounds before assembling a separate Phoenix Tahiti squad for the final round.
The final event was held at Arena Paintball in Feilding in October 2023.
Expendables advanced to the championship match against Ballistics Unit and won the final 3-0.
According to a contemporary interview published by Air Tahiti Nui, Expendables also won the overall 2023 New Zealand Race Series championship. [8]
Australian Super 7's Paintball Series
[edit]Early participation
[edit]Expendables developed an international presence through Australia's Super 7's Paintball Series.
The team competed in the professional division against established Australian squads, including Sydney SWAT, Perth Crisis, Sydney Explicit and East Side Raw.
Its historical results are preserved in the official Super 7's season rankings. [9]
2016 season
[edit]Expendables participated in the fourth round of the 2016 Super 7's Professional competition.
The team earned 40 ranking points for the event.
The official series records identify this as its only recorded appearance during the season.
2017 season
[edit]Expendables completed all four rounds of the 2017 Australian Super 7's Professional season.
The team won the opening round and finished third in the overall standings.
Its recorded points were:
- Round 1: 30
- Round 2: 24
- Round 3: 28
- Round 4: 24
Expendables finished with 106 ranking points.
Perth Crisis won the championship with 116 points, followed by Sydney SWAT with 110 points. [9]
The opening-round victory was also documented in Expendables' fundraising campaign for its European season. [2]
2018 professional championship
[edit]Expendables won the 2018 Australian Super 7's Professional season championship.
The team's results across the four rounds were:
- Round 1: 30 points
- Round 2: 26 points
- Round 3: 28 points
- Round 4: 28 points
Expendables finished first overall with 112 ranking points.
Sydney SWAT finished second with 110 points, followed by Perth Crisis with 100 points. [9]
The victory represented a national professional season championship in Australia for the New Zealand team.
The result coincided with Expendables' successful 2018 European campaign and its later participation at World Cup Asia in Malaysia.
2019 season
[edit]Expendables continued competing in the Australian Super 7's Professional division during 2019.
The team recorded 100 ranking points across four rounds, finishing second overall.
East Side Raw won the championship with 110 points, while Perth Crisis placed third with 98. [9]
2020 and 2021 appearances
[edit]Expendables continued appearing in the Australian Super 7's rankings during 2020 and 2021.
The official records show limited competition activity in those seasons, with only one round recorded for each year.
The team's results should therefore not be interpreted as full four-round championship campaigns.
European competition
[edit]Millennium Series 2017
[edit]Expendables entered the 2017 Millennium Series in the Semi-Professional division.
The team competed under the name Expendables Feilding.
The championship featured four events:
- Mediterranean Cup, Puget-sur-Argens, France
- European Masters, Bitburg, Germany
- Campaign Cup, London-Gatwick, United Kingdom
- World Cup, Paris-Chantilly, France
Expendables assembled a multinational roster combining New Zealand players with American professionals associated with San Diego Dynasty.
Mediterranean Cup
[edit]Expendables won the Semi-Professional division at the Mediterranean Cup in March 2017.
The result was documented by Ryan Greenspan and contemporary tournament reporting. [3][4]
The team defeated Lucky 15s Staffordshire in the final.
The victory represented the team's first event title of the 2017 Millennium Series season.
European Masters
[edit]Expendables continued its European campaign at the European Masters in Bitburg, Germany.
The team won the Semi-Professional division, securing its second consecutive tournament victory.
Greenspan and Marcello Margott documented the team's participation and success in firsthand accounts. [10]
Historical Millennium Series match records also document Expendables defeating Ranger Warsaw 4-0 in the quarterfinals.
Campaign Cup
[edit]Expendables competed at the London-Gatwick Campaign Cup in July 2017.
The team won the Semi-Professional division, completing three consecutive victories in the first three events of the season.
Ryan Greenspan confirmed the result in an article titled "Hat Trick", published on 10 July 2017. [11]
He described the team's victory in the final, secured with a 4-0 score.
The result effectively secured Expendables' position at the top of the season standings before the final event.
World Cup and season championship
[edit]Expendables completed its 2017 Millennium Series campaign at the World Cup in Paris-Chantilly.
The official final standings confirmed Expendables Feilding as the Semi-Professional season champion. [12]
The team finished ahead of Cologne Hurricanes and Bad Boys Oss.
The championship followed three consecutive event victories earlier in the season.
The achievement preceded Expendables' promotion to the professional division for the 2018 NXL Europe season.
NXL Europe 2018
[edit]Expendables competed in the professional division of NXL Europe during 2018.
The team entered four events against established international professional squads, including Edmonton Impact, Houston Heat, Moscow Red Legion and Toulouse TonTons.
The original NXL Europe season rankings record the following results:
- Chartres Open: 4th of 18
- Prague Open: 1st of 18
- Basildon-London Open: 9th of 18
- Paris-Chantilly Open: 15th of 18
Expendables finished fifth overall in the 2018 NXL Europe Professional season rankings, earning 533 points. [13]
The original standings include the team's Prague victory, which is omitted from some later reconstructed historical rankings.
Chartres Open
[edit]Expendables began the 2018 NXL Europe season at the Chartres Open in France, held from 13 to 15 April.
The team finished fourth among 18 Professional X-Ball entrants.
The registered players were:
- Ivan Christison
- Ryan Greenspan
- David Hopkins
- Matthew Kling
- Marcello Margott
- Yosh Rau
- Blake Yarber
Rusty Glaze was registered as staff. [14]
Expendables reached the semifinals after victories including wins against Moscow Red Legion.
The team lost the semifinal against Houston Heat and finished fourth following a defeat against Toulouse TonTons.
Prague Open
[edit]Expendables won the Professional X-Ball division at the NXL Europe Prague Open, held in the Czech Republic from 25 to 27 May 2018.
The tournament featured 18 professional teams.
The complete officially registered eight-player roster was:
- Ivan Christison (New Zealand)
- Ryan Greenspan (United States)
- Tyler Harmon (United States)
- Thomas Hopkins (New Zealand)
- Matthew Kling (Australia)
- Marcello Margott (United States)
- Yosh Rau (United States)
- Blake Yarber (United States)
Rusty Glaze was registered as staff. [5]
The team completed the preliminary stage with two victories and two defeats.
In the elimination rounds, Expendables defeated:
- PPArena Pilsen, 6-3
- Moscow Red Legion, 6-5
- Toulouse TonTons, 6-1
Expendables faced Edmonton Impact in the championship final.
The New Zealand team won the final 5-4, securing the professional division title.
The tournament's leading teams were:
- Champion: Expendables Feilding
- Runner-up: Edmonton Impact
- Third: Toulouse TonTons
- Fourth: Houston Heat
The result was independently reported by Finnish paintball journalist Kimmo Kainulainen on 27 May 2018. [15]
The victory represented one of Expendables' most significant international achievements.
Basildon-London Open
[edit]Expendables competed in the NXL Europe Basildon-London Open from 5 to 8 July 2018.
The official registered roster included:
- Ivan Christison
- Ryan Greenspan
- David Hopkins
- Matthew Kling
- Marcello Margott
- Yosh Rau
- Blake Yarber
Laura Bolam and Rusty Glaze were registered as staff.
Bolam was checked in, while Glaze was listed but not checked in. [16]
Expendables advanced from the preliminary stage but lost 5-4 to Moscow Red Legion in the first elimination round.
The team finished ninth among 18 entrants.
Paris-Chantilly Open
[edit]Expendables completed the 2018 NXL Europe season at the Paris-Chantilly Open from 27 to 30 September.
The official roster included nine players:
- Laura Bolam (United Kingdom)
- Ivan Christison (New Zealand)
- Ryan Greenspan (United States)
- David Hopkins (New Zealand)
- Thomas Hopkins (New Zealand)
- Matthew Kling (Australia)
- Marcello Margott (United States)
- Yosh Rau (United States)
- Blake Yarber (United States)
No staff members were listed on the event roster. [17]
The registration illustrates the changing composition of Expendables' international squad, with Bolam appearing as a player after previously registering as staff.
The team finished fifteenth among 18 professional entrants.
The season concluded with Expendables fifth in the overall NXL Europe professional rankings.
Asian competition
[edit]World Cup Asia 2018
[edit]Expendables competed at the 2018 Paintball World Cup Asia, held from 7 to 9 December at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre in Langkawi, Malaysia.
The tournament was organised by the Paintball Asia League Series in cooperation with Raskal Sports.
The event marked the return of World Cup Asia to Langkawi after several years away from the venue.
Approximately 40 teams participated across Professional, Open, Amateur and Open Mechanical divisions. [18]
Expendables competed in the Professional division against international teams including Russian Legion, KTM X-Bow and Datis.
The event attracted established professional players and teams from Europe, North America and Asia.
Expendables finished second in the Professional division.
The final rankings were:
- Champion: Russian Legion (Russia)
- Runner-up: Expendables (New Zealand)
- Third: KTM X-Bow (Malaysia / United States)
- Fourth: Datis (Iran)
The result was confirmed in a contemporary report published by Planet Eclipse on 13 January 2019. [19]
Video coverage published by AXMedia on 16 December 2018 also identified Expendables as the Professional division runner-up. [18]
The available coverage establishes the team's participation and final result, although a complete official player roster and the final match score have not yet been recovered.
The result completed a successful international season in which Expendables had won the Australian Super 7's Professional season championship, won the NXL Europe Prague Open and finished fifth in the overall European professional standings.
United States competition
[edit]NXL World Cup 2025
[edit]Expendables competed at the 2025 National Xball League World Cup, held in Kissimmee, Florida, United States, from 12 to 16 November.
The team entered the Open 3v3 X-Ball division, which featured four teams.
Expendables completed the preliminary stage with two victories and one defeat.
The team advanced to the semifinals against BLK, winning 3-2.
Expendables then faced Wyldside Distortion in the championship final.
Wyldside Distortion won the final 3-0, leaving Expendables second overall. [20]
The result represented another international World Cup podium for the New Zealand squad.
The complete roster for this event has not yet been established from publicly accessible registration records.
Arena Paintball and regional development
[edit]Connection with Feilding
[edit]Expendables has maintained connections with competitive paintball in Feilding, New Zealand.
The team's early registration identified Run and Gun Feilding as its associated playing field.
More recent activities have been associated with Arena Paintball, a recreational and tournament paintball venue on Kimbolton Road in Feilding.
Arena Paintball has described itself publicly as the home of Expendables and hosts national and international competition events. [21]
The exact historical relationship between Run and Gun Feilding and Arena Paintball has not yet been independently established.
Relationship with Manawatu Titans
[edit]Expendables is closely connected to Manawatu Titans, another internationally active New Zealand team based in Feilding.
Both names have been associated with the local competitive paintball community and Arena Paintball.
Manawatu Titans has competed in the American NXL and Australian Super 7's professional circuits.
Although Manawatu Titans has become a prominent contemporary competition identity, the available records do not establish that it formally replaced or absorbed Expendables.
Both team names have continued appearing as separate tournament entries.
At the 2025 NXL World Cup, Expendables entered the Open 3v3 competition while Manawatu Titans competed in other divisions.
Arena Race Series 2026
[edit]Expendables participated in the 2026 Arena Race Series held at Arena Paintball.
The event included teams from New Zealand and Australia.
After the second round, Expendables was fourth in the provisional standings with 303 points.
Manawatu Titans led with 386 points, followed by Sydney SWAT and Cult.
The separate rankings demonstrate continued use of both team identities. [21]
Feilding Paintball Club
[edit]Organised paintball in the Feilding area has also included Feilding Paintball Club Incorporated.
Historical public records document the club's receipt of community funding for safety infrastructure during 2018 and 2019.
The registered club later appeared in a 2021 New Zealand Gazette dissolution notice.
Its precise legal and organisational relationship with Expendables, Manawatu Titans or Arena Paintball has not been established.
It should therefore be distinguished from the tournament teams.
Selected tournament results
[edit]| Year | Tournament | Country | Division | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Auckland Paintball Cup | New Zealand | Open X-Ball | 3rd of 7 |
| 2016 | Auckland Paintball Cup | New Zealand | Division 2 X-Ball | 2nd of 8 |
| 2017 | Super 7's Paintball Series | Australia | Professional | 3rd overall |
| 2017 | Millennium Mediterranean Cup | France | Semi-Professional | 1st |
| 2017 | Millennium European Masters | Germany | Semi-Professional | 1st |
| 2017 | Millennium Campaign Cup | United Kingdom | Semi-Professional | 1st |
| 2017 | Millennium Series season championship | Europe | Semi-Professional | 1st overall |
| 2018 | NXL Europe Chartres Open | France | Professional X-Ball | 4th of 18 |
| 2018 | NXL Europe Prague Open | Czech Republic | Professional X-Ball | 1st of 18 |
| 2018 | NXL Europe Basildon-London Open | United Kingdom | Professional X-Ball | 9th of 18 |
| 2018 | NXL Europe Paris-Chantilly Open | France | Professional X-Ball | 15th of 18 |
| 2018 | NXL Europe season championship | Europe | Professional X-Ball | 5th overall |
| 2018 | Super 7's Paintball Series | Australia | Professional | 1st overall |
| 2018 | World Cup Asia | Malaysia | Professional | 2nd |
| 2019 | Super 7's Paintball Series | Australia | Professional | 2nd overall |
| 2023 | New Zealand Race Series, final round | New Zealand | Race format | 1st |
| 2023 | New Zealand Race Series season championship | New Zealand | Race format | 1st overall |
| 2025 | NXL World Cup | United States | Open 3v3 X-Ball | 2nd of 4 |
The table includes selected documented tournament results and does not represent every competition entered by Expendables.
Significance
[edit]Expendables Feilding has achieved competitive results across several major international paintball circuits.
Its 2017 Millennium Series Semi-Professional championship, three consecutive European event victories and subsequent participation in NXL Europe's professional division marked an important period in its international development.
In 2018, the team won the Australian Super 7's Professional season championship, won the NXL Europe Prague Open Professional division and finished second at World Cup Asia.
Expendables was also notable for its collaboration with members of San Diego Dynasty, combining New Zealand and Australian players with established American professionals.
Its continued involvement in New Zealand competition and association with the Feilding paintball community have contributed to the development of international tournament participation from the Manawatū region.
See also
[edit]- Manawatu Titans
- Arena Paintball
- Feilding Paintball Club
- Ralph Tsing
- Phoenix Tahiti
- San Diego Dynasty
- Paintball in New Zealand
- Paintball in Australia
- Paintball in Malaysia
- Millennium Series
- NXL Europe
- National Xball League
- Super 7's Paintball Series
- Paintball Asia League Series
- Paintball World Cup Asia
- New Zealand Race Series
References
[edit]- PBLeagues: Expendables. Historical team registration and tournament results, 2015–2018.
- Givealittle: Expendables Europe Trip. Fundraising campaign organised by David and Diane Hopkins, April 2017.
- Greenspan, Ryan. "A Whirlwind Adventure." Firsthand account of the 2017 European campaign and relationship with San Diego Dynasty.
- Paintball Ruined My Life. "Edmonton Impact Win Mediterranean Cup; Results." 26 March 2017. Contemporary report naming Expendables Feilding as Semi-Professional champions.
- PBLeagues: Expendables at the 2018 Prague Open. Official eight-player roster, registered staff and tournament schedule.
- PBLeagues: Expendables at Asylum Paintball Cup 2015. Historical match results.
- PBLeagues: Expendables at Auckland Paintball Cup 2016. Historical match results.
- Air Tahiti Nui. "Paintball : Ralph Tsing enchaine les bons résultats." 31 October 2023.
- Super 7's Paintball Series: Historical Results. Official Australian professional rankings, 2016–2021.
- Margott, Marcello. "A Month of Paintball: Dynasty, Team USA, Expendables." 7 July 2017.
- Greenspan, Ryan. "Hat Trick." 10 July 2017. Firsthand account confirming Expendables' third consecutive Millennium Series victory.
- Millennium Series: Official 2017 rankings. Historical standings identifying Expendables Feilding as Semi-Professional season champions.
- PBLeagues: Original NXL Europe 2018 season rankings. Professional division standings recording Expendables fifth overall with 533 points.
- PBLeagues: Expendables at Chartres Open 2018. Official player and staff registrations.
- Kainulainen, Kimmo. "Expendables Prahan NXL-turnauksen voittoon 2018." Paintball.fi, 27 May 2018. Contemporary report on the Prague Open victory.
- PBLeagues: Expendables at Basildon-London Open 2018. Official roster and staff registrations.
- PBLeagues: Expendables at Paris-Chantilly Open 2018. Official player registrations.
- AXMedia / Bob Tahar. "Paintball World Cup Asia 2018 - Langkawi." Published 16 December 2018. Contemporary tournament coverage and final rankings.
- Planet Eclipse HQ Blog. "WCA 2018." 13 January 2019. Contemporary report identifying Expendables as Professional division runner-up.
- PBLeagues: NXL World Cup 2025. Official tournament results, including the Open 3v3 X-Ball competition.
- Arena Paintball: Historical updates and 2026 Arena Race Series standings.