Editing Royal Rat Rangers (section)

== History ==

=== Formation ===

The Royal Rat Rangers developed from a group of recreational paintball players who regularly practised together in South Florida.

Maurice Gibb had first played paintball during the 1980s before returning to the sport following discussions with his friend and later teammate Frederick Renucci.

The two began playing at Rough and Tough, a Florida paintball facility operated by Pete Bofill, a professional player associated with Team Rage.[1]

In an interview conducted by Carmen Borgia for the January 2002 edition of ''Crossfire Magazine'', Gibb explained that the team developed from approximately six regular players who demonstrated a commitment to practising together.

He identified players known as Ken, Dad and Jason among the original group but did not provide their complete names.

Gibb served as team captain, while Renucci helped with organisation and administration.[1]

=== 2001 Paintball World Cup ===

The Royal Rat Rangers made their tournament debut at the 2001 [[Paintball World Cup]], held in Orlando, Florida, from 22 to 28 October.

Contemporary [[WARPIG]] tournament schedules confirm the team's participation in the 10-player competition.[2]

In his January 2002 interview, Gibb described the team's principal objective as gaining competitive experience rather than immediately winning championships.

He emphasised the importance of communication, teamwork and regular practice.

The team faced considerably more experienced opponents during its first tournament, including the [[All Americans]].[1]

=== 2001 Pan Am Las Vegas ===

The Royal Rat Rangers subsequently competed at the Pan Am Las Vegas tournament, held from 28 November to 2 December 2001.

The team entered the novice 10-player division.

Official results recorded the Royal Rat Rangers finishing 11th with 214 points.[3]

=== Beyond 2002 ===

From 12 to 14 April 2002, the Royal Rat Rangers participated in the Beyond 2002 Extreme Sports and Music Festival at Bicentennial Park in Miami.

The event combined tournament paintball with live music and other sporting exhibitions.

The Royal Rat Rangers entered the rookie division and advanced from the preliminary round to the semi-finals.

Contemporary WARPIG reporting documented the team being eliminated during the semi-final stage, while Static AKA, Nemesis Raven B, PB R Us and Femmes Fatale progressed to the finals.[5]

Maurice Gibb also participated in discussions concerning the presentation of paintball at entertainment festivals.

He supported combining paintball tournaments with music and other attractions but expressed concerns about loud music interfering with communication between players.[5]

=== 2002 Campaign Cup ===

The Royal Rat Rangers travelled to London to compete at the 2002 Millennium Series Campaign Cup, held at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

The tournament included professional, amateur and novice divisions.

The Royal Rat Rangers reached the semi-finals of the novice competition.[4]

Contemporary WARPIG reporter Simon Stevens noted that the team had improved considerably since its appearance at the previous year's World Cup.

During a match against JCS Inferno, the Royal Rat Rangers eliminated their opponents and Gibb completed the flag hang.[4]

The team did not advance to the novice final, which was won by Spirit of Norway.

=== Further American competition (2002) ===

The Royal Rat Rangers continued competing in American NPPL tournaments during 2002.

Official results document the team's participation in the rookie 10-player division at the Atlantic City Open.

The team recorded 245 preliminary-round points.[6]

The Royal Rat Rangers also entered the 2002 Paintball World Cup in Florida.

The tournament's 10-player results record the team earning 403 points in the rookie preliminary round.[7]

These records confirm the organisation's continued competition through October 2002.