Editing Black Reign (Australia) (section)

== History ==

=== Formation ===

A letter from captain Gavin Costello published in ''Australian Paintballer'' described Black Reign as a young team formed by four former Samford Vikings players.[5]

Costello stated that more than 80 per cent of the original lineup had no previous tournament experience. He asked that Black Reign be treated as a new organisation rather than a renamed continuation of the Samford Vikings.[5]

The letter gives a formation date of late July 1995, which conflicts with the team’s documented February and April 1995 competition appearances. The precise founding date therefore remains unresolved.[5][7][1]

Costello had played paintball since 1988 and was identified in contemporary reporting as an experienced player involved in several aspects of the sport.[6]

=== 1995 New South Wales State Championships ===

Black Reign competed at the New South Wales State Championships at Skirmish Adventures, Gunning, on 12 February 1995. The team finished second in the preliminary standings with 514 points and fourth in the finals.[7]

=== Sydney Skirmish Sevens ===

Black Reign won the inaugural Sydney Skirmish Sevens at [[Ultimate Skirmish Game]], Yarramundi, on 1–2 April 1995.[1]

The team led the preliminary stage with 565 points. In the four-team final, it defeated The Firm, Regulators and The Delegates, finishing with 215 points. A maximum score against The Delegates in its concluding game secured the championship.[1]

=== Australian Five-Man Open ===

Black Reign finished second at the 1995 Australian Five-Man Open at Mount White. After fourteen preliminary games, the team was second with 818 points. It retained second place after the finals, scoring 198 points.[2]

=== 1995 Australian Masters ===

Black Reign reached the four-team final at the 1995 [[Australian Masters]] at Skirmish Adventures, Helensburgh.[14]

The contemporary online report contains conflicting accounts of its final placing. The introductory narrative places Black Reign third and Hardline fourth, while the final results table reverses that order.[14]

=== 1995 South Pacific championship ===

Black Reign entered two combinations at the [[South Pacific Paintball Championships (Australia)|1995 Australian South Pacific Paintball Championships]], held at Adventure Quest Games near Windsor, New South Wales.[3]

The main Black Reign squad finished second, while the combined '''Black Reign/No Fear''' squad finished fourth.[3] The contemporary online report also records both squads reaching the finals.[18]

Black Reign player Simon Street was photographed attempting a flag move during the tournament. Following the event, team members stated that Black Reign would referee the 1996 South Pacific Championships in Queensland.[8]

=== 1995 Rebel Tour ===

Black Reign won the professional division of the [[1995 Rebel Tour]], held at Skirmish Adventures, Helensburgh, on 2–3 December.[9][17]

The team entered two professional squads:

* Black Reign Funky Bros
* Black Reign No Fear

Funky Bros led the professional preliminary standings with 850 points, while No Fear qualified for the finals with 545 points.[9][17]

In the finals, Funky Bros defeated Top Hat Jokers and HEAT Tigerstripe to secure the professional championship. Welf Herfurth played with Black Reign as a guest. Captain Gavin Costello and Paintball Australia representative Tim McCarthy accepted the winner’s shield.[9][17]

=== 1995 national ranking ===

The national rankings compiled by ''Australian Paintballer'' and Kez Svanberg placed Black Reign third among Australian professional teams for the 1995 season. The team received 346.50 ranking points from six tournaments.[4]

Black Reign finished 5.5 points behind second-placed HEAT despite contesting three fewer tournaments.[4]

=== 1996 Australian Masters ===

Black Reign reached the professional finals at the 1996 [[Australian Masters]] at Skirmish Adventures, Helensburgh. The APPL-sanctioned event attracted 14 teams from Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The report identifies Black Reign as a finalist but does not establish its final placing.[15]

=== 1998 Australian Seven-Player Championships ===

Black Reign finished second in the professional division of the [[1998 Australian Seven-Player Paintball Championships]] at Yarramundi, New South Wales.[16]

The team qualified for the finals after finishing fourth in the preliminary round with 677 points. It defeated Vengeance in its opening finals game and finished the tournament with 215 finals points.[16]

A flag-handling infringement during Black Reign’s game against The Firm prevented it from receiving flag-hang points. The contemporary report identified the incident as decisive in the championship outcome.[16]