Editing South Pacific Championships

{{Short description|Historical New Zealand paintball tournament held in the Wellington region}}

The '''South Pacific Championships''', also known as the '''New Zealand South Pacific Championship''' or '''South Pacs''', was a New Zealand tournament [[paintball]] competition associated with the Wellington region. Contemporary records document planned or completed editions between 1994 and 2001, although the event's founding and final years have not been confirmed.[1][2]

The [[Saints (New Zealand paintball team)|Saints]] won the 1995 championship, with the Australian team Sydney HEAT finishing second.[5] By 2001, the tournament was being played at Thunderball Paintball in Manor Park as an open five-player centre-flag competition.[2]

The New Zealand tournament was distinct from the similarly named South Pacific Paintball Championships conducted in Australia.[8]

== History ==

=== Early history ===

The exact founding date of the South Pacific Championships has not been established. A contemporary New Zealand tournament calendar later described it as one of the country's oldest events and stated that its central location attracted teams from both the North and South Islands.[1]

A planned 1994 edition was cancelled after insufficient entries were received. A contemporary account attributed the low number of entries partly to the cost of participating. The same account described the Wellington tournament as a nationally recognised event.[5]

=== 1995 championship ===

The 1995 New Zealand South Pacific Championship was held in Wellington over the Easter weekend. The Saints won the tournament, with Sydney HEAT finishing second.[6]

The event was Sydney HEAT's first tournament outside Australia. The team's contingent included former Oz-Ball players Peter Russell, Martin Yew, Matthew Hawkins and Robert Ambrose.[6]

Later in 1995, a report on an Auckland tournament referred to teams that had competed in the South Pacific Championships. Dragons Claw had played stock-class at the event before moving into open-class competition later in the season.[7]

=== 1996 championship ===

The 1996 New Zealand South Pacific Championships were scheduled for 5–7 April in Wellington. Wayne Hillman was listed as the tournament contact.[8]

A late-1995 report described the forthcoming championship as potentially New Zealand's largest tournament to that date. The surviving magazine material does not establish its final results.[7]

=== 2001 championship ===

The 2001 South Pacific Championships took place on 14–15 April at Thunderball Paintball, Manor Park, in the Wellington region.[2]

The published competition details specified:

{| class="wikitable"
! Detail
! 2001 championship
|-
| Dates
| 14–15 April 2001
|-
| Venue
| Thunderball Paintball, Manor Park, Wellington region
|-
| Team size
| Five players
|-
| Competition class
| Open
|-
| Format
| Centre flag
|-
| Rules
| APPL rules
|-
| Entry fee
| NZ$350 per team
|-
| Tournament contact
| John Clement
|}

John Clement was identified as the tournament contact and operator of the Thunderball field.[2]

== Recorded editions ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Location
! Winner
! Runner-up
! Notes
|-
| 1994
| Wellington region
| colspan="2" | Cancelled
| Insufficient entries were received.[5]
|-
| 1995
| Wellington
| [[Saints (New Zealand paintball team)|Saints]]
| Sydney HEAT
| Held during the Easter weekend.[6]
|-
| 1996
| Wellington
| Not established
| Not established
| Scheduled for 5–7 April.[8]
|-
| 2001
| Thunderball Paintball, Manor Park
| Not established
| Not established
| Open five-player centre-flag competition.[2][3]
|}

== Participating teams in 2001 ==

The surviving 2001 [[Valhalla National Rankings]] database documents participation by several New Zealand tournament teams.

Teams recorded in the South Pacific Championships scoring columns included:

* [[Tag n' Release]]
* [[Saints (New Zealand paintball team)|Saints Gold]]
* DamNatives
* Phoenix Wellington
* Fusion
* Nutters
* Flashpoint
* P.C/B.C

The database recorded two South Pacific Championships rounds.[3]

== Historical scoring records ==

Valhalla preserved the following ranking contributions from the 2001 competition:

{| class="wikitable"
! Team
! Round 1
! Round 2
|-
| [[Saints (New Zealand paintball team)|Saints Gold]]
| 71.9
| 48.0
|-
| [[Tag n' Release]]
| 68.3
| 56.5
|-
| Phoenix Wellington
| 47.1
| 20.0
|-
| DamNatives
| 42.3
| 40.0
|-
| Fusion
| 36.3
| Not recorded
|-
| Flashpoint
| 24.0
| Not recorded
|-
| Nutters
| 24.0
| Not recorded
|-
| P.C/B.C
| 7.7
| Not recorded
|}

These figures are Valhalla ranking calculations rather than original tournament scores or a confirmed finishing order. The surviving records establish participation and relative ranking contributions but do not identify the overall 2001 tournament winner.[3]

The same database incorporated results from the [[Wellington Cup]]. Tag n' Release finished first in the October 2001 Valhalla five-player rankings with 214.5 points, followed by Saints Gold with 211.[3] These rankings were separate from the championships awarded at individual tournaments.

== Place in New Zealand paintball ==

The South Pacific Championships formed part of the New Zealand tournament calendar alongside the [[Northland Open]], [[Wellington Cup]] and [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]].[1]

The event's Wellington location made it comparatively accessible to teams travelling from either of New Zealand's main islands, although travel and accommodation costs remained a barrier for some competitors.[1][5]

By 2001, the Auckland-based APSA Easter Challenge was promoted as an alternative for teams unable to travel to Wellington for the South Pacific Championships.[4]

== Distinction from the Australian championship ==

The New Zealand South Pacific Championships should not be confused with the South Pacific Paintball Championships conducted in Australia.

The Australian competition was first held in October 1990 and was staged annually during the early 1990s. Its organisers planned to alternate the tournament between venues in New South Wales and Queensland.[9] The 1995 Australian championship was held at Adventure Quest Games near Windsor and was won by [[Top Hat Jokers]].[10]

The New Zealand championship was held in Wellington during the Easter period, while the Australian tournament was generally conducted later in the year. Contemporary publications sometimes referred to both competitions simply as the "South Pacifics" or "South Pacs", creating the potential for their records to be confused.

== Historical records ==

The principal surviving records include reports and calendars published in ''Australian Paintballer'', the Mercenaries Star tournament calendar and the Valhalla National Rankings database.

The available material does not establish a complete annual championship history, every tournament format or the event's final edition.

== See also ==

* [[Saints (New Zealand paintball team)]]
* [[Wellington Cup]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* [[Northland Open]]
* [[Mercenaries Star]]
* [[Valhalla National Rankings]]
* [[Tag n' Release]]
* [[History of paintball in New Zealand]]
* [[Paintball in New Zealand]]

== References ==

# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/EventsIndex.htm Mercenaries Star – Annual Tournament Events, 2001]. Contemporary tournament calendar describing the South Pacific Championship as an established event attracting teams from both islands.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/SouthPac.htm Mercenaries Star – South Pacific Championships, 2001]. Tournament notice specifying the dates, venue, format, entry fee and contact.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2001Hall.htm Mercenaries Star – Valhalla National Rankings, 2001]. Five-player rankings recording South Pacific Championships participation and ranking points.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Calendar/MS_Calendar.html Mercenaries Star – Annual Tournament Calendar]. Calendar identifying the South Pacific Championships and the separate APSA Easter Challenge.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', June–July 1995, letters concerning the Wellington South Pacific Championships and New Zealand tournament participation.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', June–July 1995, "Sydney HEAT Make Friends in High Places".
# ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996, report on the 1995 Auckland tournament and preview of the 1996 New Zealand South Pacific Championships.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', April–June 1996, "New Zealand Tournament Calendar 1996".
# ''Australian Paintballer'', June–July 1995, "South Pacifics Are on Again" and clarification of the Australian tournament's rotation.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996, "South Pacific Extravaganza".

== External links ==

* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/SouthPac.htm Original 2001 South Pacific Championships tournament notice]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2001Hall.htm Valhalla National Rankings, 2001]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/EventsIndex.htm Mercenaries Star historical tournament calendar]

[[Category:New Zealand paintball tournaments]]
[[Category:Paintball tournaments]]