New Zealand Race Series
New Zealand Race Series is a competitive paintball tournament series held at Arena Paintball in Feilding, Manawatū, New Zealand. The competition uses five-player X-Ball race formats and is organised by Arena Paintball, with events promoted through Paintball Direct NZ.
The series has been documented since at least 2022, when Arena Paintball advertised a three-round championship. The competition subsequently attracted international participation from Australia and French Polynesia, alongside established New Zealand tournament teams.
The series has also been promoted as the Arena 5 Man Race Series and Arena Paintball Race Series.
Teams that have participated include Expendables, Manawatū Titans, Ballistics Unit, Phoenix Tahiti, Sydney SWAT, Cult Paintball, Lumberjacks Paintball, BOP Blast and Reavers.
The 2023 championship was won by Expendables. Following the first two rounds of the 2026 season, Manawatū Titans led the championship standings ahead of Sydney SWAT and Cult Paintball.
History
[edit]Earlier competitions at Arena Paintball
[edit]Before the establishment of the documented multi-round race series, Arena Paintball hosted several competitive tournaments.
The 2021 Paintball Factory Cup was advertised for 24-25 April 2021, followed by the 2021 Arena Cup on 10-11 July.
The Arena Cup used a five-player race format with a three-point mercy limit. The event was limited to ten teams, with a round-robin preliminary stage followed by finals.
A further event, the Corkill Cup, was scheduled for 23-24 October 2021. It continued a tournament tradition honouring Steve Corkill and his family's contributions to New Zealand paintball.
These tournaments formed part of Arena Paintball's wider competitive calendar, although the available records do not establish them as rounds of the New Zealand Race Series. [1]
2022 season
[edit]Arena Paintball's historical event calendar establishes that a three-round Arena 5 Man Race competition was advertised for 2022.
The scheduled rounds were:
- 2022 Arena Race Series Round 1, 16-17 April
- 2022 Arena Race Series Round 2, 4-5 June
- 2022 Arena Race Series Round 3, 22-23 October
Each event was advertised as a two-day tournament using a five-player race format with a four-point mercy limit.
Entries were limited to ten teams per event, with a fee of NZ$500 per team. Organisers also offered discounted entry for teams booking all three rounds.
The events operated under a field-paint-only policy.
These records establish that a structured race series was being promoted by Arena Paintball in 2022, although complete results and final championship standings have not yet been recovered. [1]
2023 season
[edit]The New Zealand Race Series continued in 2023, attracting competitors from New Zealand and French Polynesia.
The final round took place at Arena Paintball in October 2023, with nine teams entered.
Tournament organiser David Hopkins invited Tahitian player Ralph Tsing to assemble an international squad representing French Polynesia.
The resulting Phoenix Tahiti roster included:
- Ralph Tsing
- Torea Adams
- Steven Wong
- Emrick Amaru
- Kevin Brodien
- Brandon Miller, Australia
- Jarryd Fouche, South Africa
Phoenix Tahiti finished the preliminary stage with six wins, one draw and one loss.
In the semifinals, Phoenix Tahiti faced Ballistics Unit. After trailing by two points, Phoenix Tahiti recovered to finish regulation time at 3-3 before losing in a sudden-death point.
Phoenix Tahiti subsequently defeated Charcharodons 3-0 in the third-place playoff.
The championship final was contested between Expendables and Ballistics Unit.
Expendables won the final 3-0, securing both the event victory and the overall 2023 series championship.
Tsing had previously competed with Expendables during the first two rounds of the season.
The confirmed final-round podium was:
The results were documented in an October 2023 interview with Ralph Tsing published by Air Tahiti Nui. [2][3]
2024 season
[edit]The New Zealand Race Series continued in 2024.
Contemporary posts from participating teams document the second round of the series taking place in Feilding around the beginning of June 2024.
Australian and New Zealand teams continued to participate in the competition.
The complete 2024 event schedule, individual tournament winners and overall championship standings have not yet been established from available records. [4]
2025 season
[edit]The series continued in 2025, with participation from established New Zealand teams and visiting Australian squads.
The Australian team Lumberjacks Paintball competed in the second round around the end of May and beginning of June.
Lumberjacks reported playing nine preliminary matches across the two-day tournament, qualifying for the Cup playoffs and finishing fourth overall.
The team publicly acknowledged support from Arena Paintball and Manawatū Titans in field preparation and event livestreaming.
Lumberjacks subsequently announced plans to return for the October tournament.
The 2025 records demonstrate the series' continuing role in trans-Tasman tournament competition.
A complete list of the season's event winners and final championship standings has not yet been recovered. [5]
2026 season
[edit]The 2026 season was organised as three scheduled two-day competitions at Arena Paintball.
The advertised dates were:
- 2026 New Zealand Race Series Round 1, 4-5 April
- 2026 New Zealand Race Series Round 2, 11-12 July
- 2026 New Zealand Race Series Round 3, 24-25 October
The July event was also promoted as the Matariki tournament or Matariki Cup, while the October event was associated with Labour Day weekend.
The season attracted teams from New Zealand and Australia, including Sydney SWAT, Cult Paintball and Lumberjacks Paintball. [6][7]
Round 1
[edit]The first round was held on 4-5 April 2026.
Manawatū Titans won the opening tournament, receiving 200 championship points.
Australian team Sydney SWAT finished second, earning 186 points, while Expendables finished third with 173 points.
Sydney SWAT reported reaching the final after an undefeated preliminary campaign and a semifinal victory.
Its participation marked the team's first appearance at Arena Paintball competing together as a squad. [7][8]
Round 2
[edit]The second round took place on 11-12 July 2026 and was promoted as the Matariki tournament.
Australian team Cult Paintball won the event, earning 200 championship points.
Manawatū Titans finished second with 186 points, followed by Sydney SWAT in third with 173 points.
The results tightened the overall championship standings, although Manawatū Titans retained the series lead. [7][8]
Championship standings after Round 2
[edit]Arena Paintball published the following championship standings on 12 July 2026.
| Position | Team | Round 1 | Round 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manawatū Titans | 200 | 186 | 386 |
| 2 | Sydney SWAT | 186 | 173 | 359 |
| 3 | Cult Paintball | 150 | 200 | 350 |
| 4 | Expendables | 173 | 130 | 303 |
| 5 | Reavers | 140 | 161 | 301 |
| 6 | Lumberjacks Paintball | 161 | 112 | 273 |
| 7 | BOP Blast | 112 | 150 | 262 |
| 8 | Ballistics Unit | 121 | 140 | 261 |
| 9 | Surge | 130 | 121 | 251 |
| 10 | Misfits | 104 | 104 | 208 |
| 11 | Lycans | 96 | 96 | 192 |
Additional teams appearing in the published standings included Shark, Ballistics Unit's second squad, Try It and See and Chaos.
The standings were published before Round 3. Consequently, these figures represent the championship position after two events rather than final season results. [7]
Round 3
[edit]The third round was scheduled for 24-25 October 2026, coinciding with New Zealand's Labour Day weekend.
As of 15 October 2026, the event had not yet taken place and the final championship standings had not been determined.
Arena Paintball was advertising referee recruitment and had published the tournament layout in preparation for the competition. [6][7]
Competition format
[edit]The New Zealand Race Series uses five-player speedball based on X-Ball race-format principles.
Two teams compete simultaneously on a symmetrical field containing inflatable bunkers.
The objective is to eliminate opposing players and score points by reaching and activating the opposing team's start-station buzzer.
Matches consist of multiple points played within a defined time limit.
The specific competition rules have varied between seasons.
Match format
[edit]During the 2023 season, competitors described the tournament format as:
- Five players per team on the field
- Ten-minute matches
- Two-minute intervals between points
- Matches ending when a team achieved a three-point lead or held the highest score at the end of regulation time
- Sudden-death points used when required in elimination matches
With nine teams participating in the 2023 final, the preliminary competition involved eight matches per team before the playoff rounds. [2]
2026 tournament rules
[edit]The advertised 2026 regulations included:
- Five-player competition
- Ten-minute matches
- Four-point mercy limit
- Hopper plus four paintball pods per player
- Maximum of eight registered players per team
- Up to fourteen team entries per event
- Two-day tournament schedule
- Round-robin preliminary stage
- Semifinals and finals
The organisers required sufficient entries to maintain an even number of participating teams when registrations exceeded ten.
The competition used a Cup and Plate structure, providing additional playoff opportunities. [9]
Cup and Plate competition
[edit]The series' modern format includes separate Cup and Plate finals.
The Cup competition provides the principal event championship, while the Plate competition recognises additional teams based on the tournament's qualification structure.
For 2026, the advertised Cup prize package, subject to sufficient entries, consisted of:
| Position | Advertised prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | NZ$750, trophies and medals |
| 2nd | NZ$500, trophies and medals |
| 3rd | NZ$250, trophies and medals |
The Plate competition offered trophies and medals for the top three teams.
Individual awards included Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Most Improved Player (MIP) plaques.
Prize-money amounts were subject to participation numbers and could change between events or seasons. [9]
Venue
[edit]All presently documented New Zealand Race Series rounds have been associated with Arena Paintball in Feilding, in the Manawatū region of New Zealand's North Island.
The venue is located at:
558 Kimbolton Road, Feilding, New Zealand.
Arena Paintball operates a purpose-built tournament field with inflatable bunkers and safety netting.
The facility has hosted organised tournament paintball, training sessions and recreational paintball activities.
Its tournament programme has included the Paintball Factory Cup, Arena Cup, Corkill Cup and New Zealand Race Series.
Arena Paintball has also provided facilities for visiting teams, including camping and basic amenities.
The venue is associated with Paintball Direct NZ and tournament organiser David Hopkins. [1][2][10]
International participation
[edit]An important characteristic of the New Zealand Race Series has been its participation by teams and players from outside New Zealand.
French Polynesia
[edit]Phoenix Tahiti competed in the October 2023 final round, placing third.
The team was assembled with the assistance of Ralph Tsing following an invitation from organiser David Hopkins.
The 2023 squad combined players from French Polynesia with Australian and South African participants.
The tournament represented an opportunity for Tahitian players to gain experience in international five-player race competition. [2]
Australia
[edit]Australian teams have increasingly participated in the series.
Documented Australian entrants include:
Sydney SWAT finished second at the opening 2026 event and third at Round 2.
Cult won the second round of the 2026 series.
Lumberjacks finished fourth at Round 2 in 2025 and returned to compete during 2026.
These appearances demonstrate the role of the series as a venue for competition between New Zealand and Australian teams. [5][7][8]
Notable teams
[edit]Teams documented as competing in the New Zealand Race Series include:
| Team | Country | Documented involvement |
|---|---|---|
| Expendables | New Zealand | 2023 championship winners; 2026 |
| Manawatū Titans | New Zealand | 2025-2026 |
| Ballistics Unit | New Zealand | 2023 finalist; 2026 |
| Charcharodons | New Zealand | 2023 final round |
| Phoenix Tahiti | French Polynesia | 2023 third place |
| Sydney SWAT | Australia | 2026 |
| Cult Paintball | Australia | 2026 |
| Lumberjacks Paintball | Australia | 2025-2026 |
| Reavers | New Zealand | 2026 |
| BOP Blast | New Zealand | 2026 |
| Surge | New Zealand | 2026 |
| Misfits | New Zealand | 2026 |
| Lycans | New Zealand | 2026 |
| Shark | New Zealand | 2026 |
| Try It and See | Australia | 2026 |
| Chaos | Not established | 2026 |
Country identifications reflect available team records where established. Individual rosters may include players of different nationalities.
Championship winners
[edit]| Season | Series champion | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Not established | Three rounds advertised |
| 2023 | Expendables | Won final round and overall championship |
| 2024 | Not established | Series activity documented |
| 2025 | Not established | Series activity documented |
| 2026 | To be determined | Manawatū Titans led after Round 2 |
Event winners
[edit]| Year | Event | Winner | Runner-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Final round | Expendables | Ballistics Unit | Phoenix Tahiti |
| 2026 | Round 1 | Manawatū Titans | Sydney SWAT | Expendables |
| 2026 | Round 2 | Cult Paintball | Manawatū Titans | Sydney SWAT |
| 2026 | Round 3 | Scheduled | Scheduled | Scheduled |
Only results established from the available sources are listed. Earlier seasons require further research to complete the competition's historical record.
See also
[edit]- Paintball tournaments in New Zealand
- Paintball in New Zealand
- Arena Paintball
- Paintball Direct NZ
- Expendables (New Zealand paintball team)
- Manawatū Titans
- Corkill Cup
- Arena Cup
- New Zealand Paintball Players League
References
[edit]- Arena Paintball, Historical and Current Tournament Calendar. Official event listings for 2021, 2022 and 2026.
- Air Tahiti Nui, Paintball: Ralph Tsing enchaine les bons résultats, 31 October 2023. Interview documenting the 2023 championship, Phoenix Tahiti roster, tournament format and final results.
- Air Tahiti Nui, Ambassador News Archive. Confirms publication date of the Ralph Tsing interview.
- Paintball HQ, Facebook Page. May 2024 post discussing the second New Zealand Race Series event.
- Gladiatair Paintball Tanks, Social Media Archive. Reproduces Lumberjacks Paintball's June 2025 tournament report.
- Arena Paintball, 2026 Arena 5 Man Race Series Calendar. Official dates for the April, July and October rounds.
- Arena Paintball, Social Media Archive. Includes official standings published on 12 July 2026 and the announcement of Cult's Round 2 victory.
- Sydney SWAT, Social Media Archive. Team reports from April and July 2026 confirming competition participation and podium finishes.
- Paintball Direct NZ, 2026 Race Events. Official competition rules, roster limits, event structure, entry fees and prizes. The product description retains an erroneous reference to 2025 despite the 2026 page title and event dates.
- Arena Paintball, About. Venue description and facilities.