Editing Sydney SWAT (section)

== History ==

=== Formation and early competition ===

Sydney SWAT was established by Australian paintball player and field operator Mike Whybrew.

In an interview published by ''Paintball Nerd'' on 5 April 2023, Whybrew identified 1991 as the year he formed Sydney SWAT and began competing professionally.[1]

Whybrew subsequently established Action Paintball Games and became involved in organising the Australian Super 7s tournament series.[1]

Surviving Super 7s championship records document Sydney SWAT competing in the professional division by 2007.

The team finished second in the 2007 professional season standings, two points behind Menace, and won the final tournament of the season.[2]

Contemporary reporting also records Sydney SWAT competing at the Australian Super 7s tournament in Sydney in August 2008.[4]

=== International competition (2009) ===

In July 2009, Sydney SWAT represented Australia at an international invitational paintball tournament held in Taiwan alongside the World Games.

The event, identified in contemporary discussion as the second Asian Paintball Invitational Tournament, featured teams representing Australia, Germany, Iran, Japan, Singapore and other countries.

Sydney SWAT reached the final against Germany, whose roster consisted primarily of players from [[Ramstein Instinct]].

Germany won the final, leaving Sydney SWAT in second place. Iran's [[Datis (paintball team)|Datis]] finished third.

The tournament was an invitational event associated with the World Games rather than an official World Games medal competition.[5][6]

=== Australian championships (2010–2013) ===

Sydney SWAT finished second in the 2010 Australian Super 7s professional season, behind Hostile Intentions.

The team subsequently won three consecutive professional season championships.

In 2011, Sydney SWAT finished first with 116 points, ahead of Hostile Intentions on 110.

The team retained its championship in 2012, leading the published professional rankings with 88 points.

In 2013, Sydney SWAT won three of the four Super 7s tournaments and finished first overall with 116 points, narrowly ahead of Sydney Explicit on 114.[2]

=== Continued professional competition (2014–2019) ===

Sydney SWAT remained a leading competitor in the Australian Super 7s throughout the remainder of the decade.

The team finished second in the professional series standings in 2014, 2015 and 2016, losing each championship to NVS.

In both 2015 and 2016, Sydney SWAT and NVS finished with identical season points totals of 196, with NVS ranked first under the series' tie-breaking rules.

Sydney SWAT again finished second in 2017, behind [[Perth Crisis]], and in 2018, behind [[NZ Expendables|Expendables]].

The team finished sixth overall in the 2019 professional standings.[2]

=== Recent competition (2023–2026) ===

Sydney SWAT continued competing in the professional division of the Australian Super 7s during the 2020s.

In 2023, the team finished second overall behind Eskimo Brothers, winning the second round of the series.[2]

Sydney SWAT returned to the top of the professional standings in 2024.

The team won all four rounds of the season, including the Paintballshop.com Masters, finishing with the maximum 120 championship points.

The Super 7s organisation confirmed Sydney SWAT as the 2024 professional series champion on 19 December 2024.[3]

In 2025, Sydney SWAT again finished second overall, tied on 116 championship points with NVS. The season championship was awarded to NVS under the series' tie-breaking rules.[2][7]

Sydney SWAT began the 2026 season with three consecutive professional tournament victories, leading the championship standings after the third round.[2]