Editing Rotorua Invitational


'''Rotorua Invitational''' (also known as the '''Rotorua Invitational Paintball Days''') was a New Zealand competitive [[paintball]] event established by [[Tag n' Release]] and the '''Rotorua Paintball Club''' in 2000. Based in [[Rotorua]], the event was intended to encourage participation in tournament paintball and strengthen connections between teams from different regions of New Zealand.

The inaugural Rotorua Invitational took place on '''Sunday, 3 December 2000''', at '''Blue Lake Reserve, Rotorua'''. Four teams participated: '''Katipo''', '''Tag n' Release''', '''Havoc''' and '''DamNatives'''. Katipo finished with the highest score and won the tournament.[1]

The competition was designed to combine organised tournament play with a friendly environment in which experienced and developing players could meet, compete and improve their skills.

The organisers proposed holding further invitation-only events every two or three months, with a rotating group of teams and a trophy recording successive winners.[1]

The event's history is documented in a contemporary account by '''Russell "Dangermouse" Clement''', a Tag n' Release player and team historian.

== Background ==

=== Competitive paintball in Rotorua ===

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, New Zealand tournament paintball was organised largely through commercial playing fields, regional clubs and independent competitions.

Major tournaments included the [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]], [[Northland Open]] and South Pacific Championships.

However, opportunities for regular competition varied considerably between regions.

Teams based outside Auckland frequently needed to travel long distances to compete against established opponents.

Rotorua had an active recreational paintball community and was developing a presence in competitive tournament paintball.

Local organisations included the Rotorua Paintball Club and [[Tag n' Release]], a team formed in March 2000.

The establishment of the Rotorua Invitational was part of their efforts to increase opportunities for organised competition in the central North Island.

=== Tag n' Release ===

Tag n' Release was a Rotorua-based competitive paintball team captained by '''Gary Dykes'''.

Its original April 2001 team profile identified '''Paintball Rotorua''' as its home field.[2]

The team was formed by players who initially participated in recreational bush games using rental equipment.

Within its first year, Tag n' Release entered several tournaments, including Actions Mayhem, the Wellington Cup and the New Zealand Paintball Nationals.

The team won Second Division at the 2000 Nationals.

Its stated objectives included strengthening the central North Island paintball community, encouraging new players and organising its own tournament.

The Rotorua Invitational developed from these objectives.

=== Rotorua Paintball Club ===

The Rotorua Paintball Club worked with Tag n' Release to establish the competition.

Its involvement included providing playing facilities and compressed gas for the inaugural event.

The original report credits the club with supplying the field and gas without charging the organisers.[1]

The surviving account does not establish the club's legal structure or the full roster of its officials.

== Establishment ==

=== Objectives ===

The Rotorua Invitational was conceived as a series of small tournaments bringing together teams of different levels of experience.

The organisers wanted players to meet opponents from other regions and develop their competitive skills.

Unlike a major national championship, the Invitational was intended to retain a relatively informal atmosphere.

However, the organisers also wanted the competition to follow recognisable tournament procedures.

The original proposal specified scorekeeping, chronograph checks, safety rules and refereeing duties.

=== Invitation system ===

The event was designed as an invitation-based competition.

Tag n' Release would invite participating teams, while previous winners were also expected to contribute to selecting future participants.

The intention was to create a varied field of teams rather than allowing the same group of competitors to dominate every event.

The organisers hoped to balance teams by location and competitive experience.

This reflected the event's developmental purpose.

=== Refereeing ===

Each team was expected to provide referees, also described as marshals, during games in which it was not competing.

This arrangement distributed responsibility for officiating among the participants.

It also gave players an opportunity to gain refereeing experience.

The organisers considered this an important part of strengthening the wider competitive community.

=== Safety procedures ===

The original event concept included equipment chronographing and adherence to paintball safety guidelines.

Chronographing involved checking marker velocity to ensure equipment operated within the event's limits.

The surviving account does not specify the exact velocity limit or reproduce a complete safety policy.

== Inaugural tournament, 2000 ==

=== Date and venue ===

The inaugural Rotorua Invitational was held on:

'''Sunday, 3 December 2000'''

The venue was:

'''Blue Lake Reserve, Rotorua, New Zealand.'''

The date, location and tournament results were recorded by Russell Clement in a contemporary report published through [[Mercenaries Star]].[1]

Blue Lake Reserve provided an outdoor location for a temporary tournament playing field.

Rather than using a permanent commercial tournament arena, the organisers erected portable obstacles specifically for the event.

=== Participating teams ===

Four teams attended the inaugural competition.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Rotorua Invitational, 3 December 2000
! Team
! Region or association
! Result
|-
| '''[[Katipo Paintball Team|Katipo]]'''
| Auckland
| Winner
|-
| [[Tag n' Release]]
| Rotorua
| Participated
|-
| Havoc
| New Zealand tournament team
| Participated
|-
| DamNatives
| New Zealand tournament team
| Participated
|}

The original report identifies all four teams and confirms Katipo as the winner.

It does not provide sufficient information to establish the complete second-, third- and fourth-place order.

=== Arrival and field construction ===

According to Clement's report, Katipo and DamNatives were the first teams to arrive.

When they reached Blue Lake Reserve, the playing field had not yet been constructed.

The temporary barriers arrived subsequently.

Members of the visiting teams helped the organisers set up the field so that competition could begin.

The barriers were arranged in a symmetrical speedball configuration.

The report noted that some players considered the barriers relatively small.

However, the organisers were familiar with playing on fields offering limited cover and considered the arrangement suitable for competitive games.

=== Playing field ===

The inaugural event used a temporary speedball layout.

Speedball fields generally use a defined playing area with obstacles positioned to provide cover.

Unlike conventional woodland paintball, this layout allowed the organisers to establish a relatively balanced playing environment.

The symmetrical field design provided comparable playing conditions from both starting ends.

The original report describes portable barriers but does not identify them as inflatable Sup'AirBall bunkers.

The inaugural Invitational should therefore not be confused with the later proposed stadium tournament using inflatable tournament fields.

=== Spectator arrangements ===

The organisers installed a large protective mesh screen to separate spectators from the playing area.

This allowed visitors to watch the games from behind a safety barrier.

The event also received publicity through a local radio station.

The surviving report does not identify the station or record attendance figures.

=== Weather ===

Clement described the weather as overcast with a breeze.

The conditions helped keep temperatures comfortable for players.

The report does not identify any weather-related interruptions to the games.

== Tournament format ==

=== Round-robin competition ===

The inaugural competition used a round-robin format.

Each of the four teams played every other team twice.

This gave every team six scheduled games against the other three participants.

The format ensured that teams had multiple opportunities to compete rather than being eliminated after a single defeat.

The original report confirms the two-meeting round-robin arrangement, although it does not reproduce a full game-by-game scoreboard.

=== Competition atmosphere ===

The tournament was intended to combine competitive play with social interaction.

Clement described the games as hard-fought despite the deliberately informal atmosphere.

Teams were encouraged to play seriously while recognising that the event's broader purpose was developing the sport.

This approach reflected Tag n' Release's emphasis on fair play and participation.

=== Barbecue lunch ===

A barbecue lunch was held between the playing sessions.

The DamNatives team supplied meat for the barbecue.

The meal formed part of the event's social programme and gave players an opportunity to interact outside the playing field.

Clement specifically thanked DamNatives for its contribution.

== Results ==

=== Katipo victory ===

At the conclusion of the day's games, '''Katipo''' had accumulated the most points.

The team was declared the winner of the inaugural Rotorua Invitational.[1]

Katipo was an established Auckland-based tournament team.

It had previously won the 1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals and appeared near the top of the independent Valhalla national rankings throughout the late 1990s.

Its participation brought an experienced opponent to the Rotorua competition.

The victory added another documented tournament result to Katipo's competitive history.

=== Other teams ===

Tag n' Release, Havoc and DamNatives also participated.

The surviving event report does not identify the remaining teams' final scores or positions.

Consequently, Katipo's first-place result is the only final placing that can be firmly established from the available contemporary account.

=== Results summary ===

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Rotorua Invitational, 2000
! Detail
! Recorded information
|-
| Date
| 3 December 2000
|-
| Venue
| Blue Lake Reserve, Rotorua
|-
| Organisers
| Tag n' Release and Rotorua Paintball Club
|-
| Participating teams
| 4
|-
| Competition format
| Each team played every other team twice
|-
| Playing field
| Temporary symmetrical speedball layout
|-
| Winner
| Katipo
|}

== Post-event report ==

=== Russell Clement ===

'''Russell Clement''', also known as '''Dangermouse''', was a member of Tag n' Release.

He served as the team's information contact and historian.

Clement wrote the surviving account of the inaugural Invitational and the organisers' plans for future competitions.

His report records the preparation of the field, participating teams, playing format, weather and final winner.

The account provides an unusually detailed contemporary description of a small New Zealand tournament from the period.

=== Acknowledgements ===

Clement thanked the visiting teams for travelling to Rotorua.

He also acknowledged the assistance of Katipo and DamNatives in constructing the playing field.

DamNatives was thanked separately for supplying the barbecue meat.

The Rotorua Paintball Club was thanked for providing the field and gas.

These acknowledgements illustrate the cooperative nature of the event and the reliance on volunteer assistance.

== Plans for future events ==

=== Proposed recurring series ===

The organisers hoped to develop the Rotorua Invitational into a regular competition.

The original concept proposed holding events approximately every two or three months.

The tournaments would remain relatively small and invitation-based.

Tag n' Release intended to invite teams from different regions and levels of competitive experience.

Previous event winners would also have a role in inviting participants.

=== Expansion to six teams ===

Following the inaugural event, the organisers expressed interest in increasing the field to six teams.

The December 2000 competition had featured four.

Clement specifically expressed the hope that Katipo would return.

The intention was to give Tag n' Release an opportunity to compete against the inaugural winners again.

=== Trophy ===

The organisers proposed awarding a small trophy.

The trophy would be engraved with the names of successive winners.

This arrangement would have provided a historical record of the series and given the recurring competition an identity beyond individual tournament days.

The available source documents this intention but does not establish that the proposed trophy was produced.

=== Subsequent editions ===

The contemporary sources establish the inaugural December 2000 event and the organisers' plans for a recurring series.

However, a complete sequence of later Rotorua Invitational dates and winners has not been recovered.

The available evidence should not be interpreted as confirmation that tournaments occurred every two or three months after December 2000.

== Relationship with Volcanic Rotorua ==

=== Development of a larger tournament ===

During 2001, the Rotorua Paintball Club and Tag n' Release were also involved in plans for a larger seven-man tournament at Rotorua International Stadium.

The stadium event was promoted separately as the '''[[Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament]]'''.

The Rotorua Invitational source included discussion of the stadium plans, including a proposed two-day competition over Queen's Birthday weekend.[1]

Unlike the small December 2000 Invitational at Blue Lake Reserve, the proposed stadium event involved a larger venue, more elaborate infrastructure and a higher team entry fee.

=== Volcanic Rotorua announcement ===

A separate contemporary announcement identified the formal event name as '''Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament'''.

It advertised the following details:[4]

{| class="wikitable"
! Detail
! Published information
|-
| Event
| Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament
|-
| Dates
| 2–3 June 2001
|-
| Venue
| Rotorua International Stadium
|-
| Format
| Seven-man
|-
| Game type
| End flags
|-
| Division
| Open
|-
| Rules
| Australian Paintball Players League
|-
| Entry
| NZ$500 per team
|-
| Paintball policy
| Bring your own
|}

The announcement also described arrangements for paintball supplies and compressed gas.

This source establishes that Volcanic Rotorua was separately advertised under its own formal name.

The event was related to the same Rotorua organising community but should not be automatically treated as another completed edition of the smaller Rotorua Invitational series.

=== Kyn Jackson ===

[[Kyn Jackson]], associated with [[Actions Paintball]] and the original National Paintball League, was involved in discussions concerning the larger stadium tournament.

Clement's announcement explained that Tag n' Release members had undertaken most of the planning.

Jackson had been asked to assist with running the tournament on the day.

The distinction is important because the larger event originated from the Rotorua organisers' initiative rather than solely from an established Auckland field operator.

== Relationship with other tournaments ==

=== New Zealand Paintball Nationals ===

The [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]] was one of the country's established major competitions.

Tag n' Release had won Second Division at the 2000 Nationals before establishing the Rotorua Invitational.

This experience demonstrated the value of organised competition for developing teams.

The Invitational sought to create additional opportunities for players to gain tournament experience closer to home.

=== Northland Open ===

The [[Northland Open]] was another major tournament on the New Zealand calendar.

Teams travelled to Whangārei for the event, which had been part of the original National Paintball League First Division programme.

The Rotorua Invitational represented a smaller regional alternative designed around regular participation and development.

=== Regional paintball development ===

The Rotorua Invitational formed part of a broader effort to increase competitive opportunities outside Auckland.

Its organisers encouraged travelling teams to participate and share responsibility for administering the games.

This approach enabled a relatively small group of volunteers to establish a functioning tournament.

The event also provided opportunities for players to gain refereeing experience and interact with teams they might otherwise meet only at major national competitions.

== Historical significance ==

The Rotorua Invitational was an early example of a locally organised competitive paintball event designed specifically to encourage participation and community development.

The inaugural competition brought four teams together at Blue Lake Reserve in December 2000.

Its temporary speedball field, shared refereeing arrangements and social activities demonstrated how an event could be organised without the infrastructure of a large permanent tournament facility.

The participation of established teams such as Katipo alongside developing regional competitors created opportunities for players to gain experience.

Katipo's victory provides a documented tournament result, while Russell Clement's contemporary report preserves details of the event's organisation and atmosphere.

The Invitational also illustrates the role played by Tag n' Release and the Rotorua Paintball Club in developing organised paintball in the central North Island.

Their ambitions extended to recurring competitions and ultimately to plans for a larger tournament at Rotorua International Stadium.

Although only the inaugural Invitational has been fully documented, the surviving records provide valuable evidence of the grassroots tournament community in New Zealand during the early 2000s.

== See also ==

* [[Tag n' Release]]
* [[Katipo Paintball Team]]
* [[Rotorua Paintball Club]]
* [[Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* [[Northland Open]]
* [[Valhalla National Rankings]]
* [[Kyn Jackson]]
* [[Mercenaries Star]]

== References ==

# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/RIIndex.htm Rotorua Invitational Paintball Days]. Russell "Dangermouse" Clement, ''Mercenaries Star''. Contemporary account of the inaugural event on 3 December 2000, including teams, venue, playing format, result, safety and refereeing arrangements, and plans for future events.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Links/TagNRelease.htm Tag n' Release Team Profile]. Russell Clement, ''Mercenaries Star'', April 2001. Records the team's formation, home field, captain, officials, objectives and early tournament results.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/EventsIndex.htm Annual Tournament Events]. ''Mercenaries Star'', 2001. Describes the proposed Rotorua Invitational series as a central North Island initiative associated with Tag n' Release and Paintball Rotorua.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/VRT.htm Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament]. ''Mercenaries Star'', 2001. Original event announcement advertising the 2–3 June 2001 stadium tournament, seven-man format, APPL rules, entry fee and equipment arrangements.

== External links ==

* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/RIIndex.htm Original Rotorua Invitational event report and plans]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Links/TagNRelease.htm Original Tag n' Release team profile]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/EventsIndex.htm Contemporary national tournament calendar]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/VRT.htm Original Volcanic Rotorua tournament announcement]

[[Category:Paintball tournaments in New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand paintball history]]
[[Category:Paintball in Rotorua]]
[[Category:Paintball in the Bay of Plenty]]
[[Category:2000 in paintball]]
[[Category:2000 establishments in New Zealand]]