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'''Manawatu Titans''' is a competitive [[paintball]] team based in [[Feilding]], in the [[Manawatū]] region of [[New Zealand]]. The team has competed internationally in New Zealand, Australia and the United States, including the [[National Xball League]] (NXL), the Australian [[Super 7's Paintball Series]] and domestic Race-format competitions. Manawatu Titans is associated with [[Arena Paintball]] in Feilding and has competed in both professional and semi-professional divisions. The team's principal documented international achievement is winning the Semi-Pro X-Ball division at the 2022 NXL Golden State Open in the United States. The team also finished eighth at the 2022 NXL World Cup and tenth in the overall 2022 NXL Semi-Pro season rankings. Manawatu Titans maintains close connections with [[Expendables Feilding]], another internationally active New Zealand paintball team associated with the Manawatū region. Both names have appeared as separate tournament entries. == History == === Origins and development === Manawatu Titans developed within the competitive paintball community of the Manawatū region of New Zealand. The team has been associated with [[Arena Paintball]], a commercial and competitive paintball venue in Feilding. The exact date of the team's establishment has not been independently confirmed. An interview with Tahitian player [[Ralph Tsing]] published by Tahiti Infos in October 2022 documents the team's participation in New Zealand competition as early as 2020. Tsing stated that he had joined Manawatu Titans for a round of a New Zealand championship in 2020 and that the team had won the event. [1] The exact tournament and complete official results have not yet been identified. The team's PBLeagues profile was registered on 23 November 2021, identifying Feilding as its home town and Arena Paintball as its associated playing field. [2] The registration date provides a surviving documentary record of the team but does not necessarily represent its original foundation date. === Expansion into international competition === Manawatu Titans developed an international tournament programme that included competing in the American NXL Semi-Pro division and Australia's Super 7's Professional division. The team has recruited players from outside New Zealand for selected international tournaments. Its documented international participants have included Tahitian player Ralph Tsing and American player Brad Medes. The team's international programme has involved competing against established teams from the United States, Australia and other countries. By 2022, Manawatu Titans was participating in multiple NXL events in the United States while maintaining its connections with the New Zealand tournament paintball community. == United States competition == === NXL 2022 season === Manawatu Titans entered the National Xball League's Semi-Pro X-Ball division during the 2022 season. The team's documented American appearances included: * Lone Star Open * Golden State Open * NXL World Cup The team finished tenth in the overall 2022 NXL Semi-Pro season rankings with 293.33 ranking points. [3] The result included a first-place finish at the Golden State Open. === Lone Star Open 2022 === Manawatu Titans competed in the NXL Lone Star Open, held from 29 April to 1 May 2022. The team entered the Semi-Pro X-Ball division. Manawatu Titans finished tenth among 11 participating teams, according to the official PBLeagues historical record. [2] The tournament was the team's first documented appearance in the American NXL during 2022. === Golden State Open 2022 === Manawatu Titans won the Semi-Pro X-Ball division at the 2022 NXL Golden State Open, held from 5 to 7 August. Seven teams competed in the division. The original PBLeagues results record Manawatu Titans finishing first in the division. [4] ==== Preliminary round ==== Manawatu Titans advanced through the preliminary stage to qualify for the semifinals. The official tournament standings placed the team among the leading entries alongside PaintballFIT.com, Blast Camp and Austin Notorious. ==== Semifinal ==== Manawatu Titans faced Austin Notorious in the semifinals. The New Zealand team won the match 4-3, advancing to the championship final. ==== Final ==== Manawatu Titans faced PaintballFIT.com in the Semi-Pro championship final. The match was closely contested, with Manawatu Titans winning 4-3. The result secured the Semi-Pro title for the New Zealand team. The final division standings were: * Champion: Manawatu Titans * Runner-up: PaintballFIT.com * Third: Blast Camp * Fourth: Austin Notorious The victory represented a documented American national tournament title for a New Zealand-based team. The official rankings awarded Manawatu Titans 100 event ranking points. [4] === NXL World Cup 2022 === Manawatu Titans competed at the 2022 NXL World Cup, held from 10 to 13 November in Florida, United States. The team entered the Semi-Pro X-Ball division. The event attracted 18 teams in the division. Manawatu Titans finished eighth overall, earning 62.94 points in the reconstructed PBLeagues event rankings. [2] The World Cup appearance completed the team's three-event American campaign during 2022. === NXL 2023 season === Manawatu Titans returned to the American NXL Semi-Pro division for the 2023 season. The team participated in all five major events listed in the official season standings. Its tournament results were: * Sunshine State Major: 17th of 26 * Lone Star Major: 15th of 24 * Mid-Atlantic Major: 16th of 25 * Windy City Major: 21st of 24 * NXL World Cup: 15th of 26 Manawatu Titans finished fourteenth in the overall 2023 NXL Semi-Pro season rankings with 280.01 ranking points. [5] The campaign represented a full season of international competition in the American Semi-Pro division. ==== Sunshine State Major ==== Manawatu Titans began the 2023 NXL season at the Sunshine State Major, held from 10 to 12 March. The team entered the Semi-Pro X-Ball division and finished seventeenth among 26 competing teams. The result is recorded in the team's historical PBLeagues profile. [2] ==== Lone Star Major ==== The team competed at the NXL Lone Star Major from 28 to 30 April 2023. Manawatu Titans finished fifteenth among 24 teams in Semi-Pro X-Ball. The team also appears in the event's preceding practice-day registration records. ==== Mid-Atlantic Major ==== Manawatu Titans participated in the NXL Mid-Atlantic Major from 16 to 18 June 2023. The team entered the Semi-Pro X-Ball division. Its preliminary matches included a 6-2 victory against BZ Fearless. The team lost 4-1 to Colorado BLITZ and 3-2 to Nasty. Manawatu Titans finished sixteenth among 25 teams. [6] ==== Windy City Major ==== Manawatu Titans competed at the NXL Windy City Major from 15 to 17 September 2023. The team finished twenty-first among 24 Semi-Pro entrants. ==== NXL World Cup 2023 ==== Manawatu Titans completed its 2023 American season at the NXL World Cup, held from 8 to 12 November. The team entered Semi-Pro X-Ball and finished fifteenth among 26 teams. The World Cup result contributed to the team's fourteenth-place overall season ranking. [5] === NXL World Cup 2024 === Manawatu Titans returned to the United States for the 2024 NXL World Cup, held from 6 to 10 November. The team entered Division 2 X-Ball. Manawatu Titans finished twenty-first among 23 competing teams. [2] The appearance marked a change from the Semi-Pro division in which the team had competed during 2022 and 2023. === NXL World Cup 2025 === Manawatu Titans entered two divisions at the 2025 NXL World Cup, held in Kissimmee, Florida, from 12 to 16 November. The recorded entries were: * Semi-Pro X-Ball * Pro X-Ball 3v3 In the Semi-Pro division, Manawatu Titans finished twenty-second among 23 teams. In the Pro 3v3 competition, the team finished ninth among 12 participating teams. [2][7] The Pro 3v3 division included established professional paintball organisations from the American and international circuits. The separate 3v3 competition represented a different tournament format from the team's traditional five-player X-Ball appearances. At the same World Cup, [[Expendables Feilding]] entered the Open 3v3 X-Ball competition and finished second among four teams. The registrations demonstrate that the Manawatu Titans and Expendables names continued to be used for separate competitive entries. == Australian competition == === Super 7's Paintball Series === Manawatu Titans has competed in Australia's Super 7's Paintball Series. The competition includes professional, semi-professional and other divisions, attracting established Australian and international teams. Manawatu Titans has participated in the professional division against opponents including Sydney SWAT and East Side Raw. === Planet Eclipse Open 2022 === In October 2022, Manawatu Titans competed at the Planet Eclipse Open, the third round of the Australian Super 7's Paintball Series. The competition took place in Sydney and featured nine professional teams. The team recruited Tahitian player [[Ralph Tsing]] to join its roster. According to a contemporary Tahiti Infos interview, Tsing received the invitation on 8 September 2022. [1] The competition represented Tsing's first appearance in Australia's professional division. ==== Preliminary round ==== Manawatu Titans completed the preliminary phase with six victories and two draws. The team finished second in the preliminary standings, qualifying for the semifinals. ==== Semifinal ==== Manawatu Titans faced Sydney SWAT in the semifinal. The match finished level at the end of regulation time and progressed into overtime. Sydney SWAT won 4-3, eliminating Manawatu Titans from championship contention. ==== Third-place playoff ==== Manawatu Titans faced East Side Raw in the third-place playoff. The team lost the match 4-3, finishing fourth overall. The tournament's leading teams were: * Champion: Eskimo Brothers * Runner-up: Sydney SWAT * Third: East Side Raw * Fourth: Manawatu Titans Despite the team's fourth-place finish, Ralph Tsing was named the tournament's best player. The individual award received coverage in French Polynesian media on 10 October 2022. [1] The appearance demonstrated the team's participation in professional-level competition in Australia. === Super 7's 2024 === Manawatu Titans returned to the Australian Super 7's Professional division in 2024. The team's appearance is recorded in the official Super 7's season standings. Manawatu Titans participated in Round 1, earning 28 ranking points. This was the second-highest points allocation for the round, behind Sydney SWAT on 30 points. [8] The team did not record results in the remaining three rounds. The entry provides further documentation of Manawatu Titans' continuing participation in Australian professional paintball. == New Zealand competition == === Early tournament activity === Manawatu Titans has participated in domestic competitive paintball in New Zealand since at least 2020. In an interview published in October 2022, Ralph Tsing recalled joining Manawatu Titans for a round of a New Zealand championship during 2020. According to Tsing, the team finished first at the event. [1] The event name, date and complete official standings have not yet been independently recovered. === Arena Paintball === Manawatu Titans is associated with [[Arena Paintball]], a commercial paintball and tournament venue located at 558 Kimbolton Road, Feilding. Arena Paintball provides recreational games and organised competitive paintball events. The venue includes an airball playing field used for tournament-standard speedball. The facility's own website states that Arena Paintball is operated by members of the Titans. It also describes the team's experience competing in New Zealand and overseas. [9] Arena Paintball has hosted tournaments featuring teams from New Zealand and Australia. The venue's regular competitive events include five-player Race-format competitions. === Arena Race Series 2026 === Manawatu Titans competed in the 2026 Arena Race Series, organised at Arena Paintball in Feilding. The series scheduled three rounds: * Round 1: 4–5 April 2026 * Round 2: 11–12 July 2026 * Round 3: 24–25 October 2026 The events used a five-player Race format, with ten-minute games and a Mercy 4 scoring system. [10] After the second round, Manawatu Titans led the provisional season standings. Its recorded points were: * Round 1: 200 * Round 2: 186 * Total: 386 The leading teams after two rounds were: * Manawatu Titans: 386 * Sydney SWAT: 359 * Cult: 350 * Expendables: 303 * Reavers: 301 * Lumberjacks: 273 The standings were published by Arena Paintball on 12 July 2026. [11] The final round had not taken place as of October 2026, so the figures represent provisional rather than final season rankings. The competition included both Manawatu Titans and Expendables as separate entries. == Players and personnel == === Documented players === Manawatu Titans has included New Zealand and international players in its competitive rosters. The following individuals have been independently identified as team participants: ==== Ralph Tsing ==== [[Ralph Tsing]] is a competitive paintball player from French Polynesia who has appeared as a guest player for Manawatu Titans. Tsing reported participating with the team in New Zealand during 2020, when it won a championship round. He subsequently joined Manawatu Titans for the October 2022 Super 7's Planet Eclipse Open in Sydney. At that event, Tsing was named best player of the tournament despite Manawatu Titans finishing fourth. [1] Tsing has also competed internationally for [[Phoenix Tahiti]], Expendables and Sydney SWAT. ==== Brad Medes ==== Brad Medes is an American competitive paintball player who has been associated with Manawatu Titans' United States Semi-Pro programme. On 9 February 2023, Medes appeared on episode 103 of the paintball podcast ''Overshot'', titled "Brad Medes of the Manawatu Titans". [12] The interview examined his progression through lower divisional paintball and his opportunity to compete for a Semi-Pro team from another country. The episode provides contemporary evidence of Manawatu Titans recruiting players from the American tournament circuit. === Team organisation === Manawatu Titans maintains connections with the Feilding paintball community and the people involved in Arena Paintball. The venue's website identifies Titans members as operating the facility. The team also shares regional and competitive connections with Expendables, founded by David Hopkins. However, the identities and formal roles of Manawatu Titans' founders, managers and coaching personnel have not been established from complete independent records. The available historical PBLeagues event pages confirm the team's participation but no longer publicly display most older individual roster registrations. A definitive roster history and full list of team personnel therefore remain incomplete. == Relationship with Expendables Feilding == Manawatu Titans is closely connected to [[Expendables Feilding]], an internationally successful competitive paintball team based in the same region. Expendables was founded by David Hopkins and has competed in New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Europe and the United States. The team's major achievements include winning the 2017 Millennium Series Semi-Professional championship, the 2018 Australian Super 7's Professional season championship and the 2018 NXL Europe Prague Open Professional division. Manawatu Titans subsequently developed its own international competition record, including American NXL Semi-Pro appearances from 2022 onward. Both teams have been associated with Arena Paintball and the wider Feilding tournament paintball community. The available sources suggest considerable overlap in their competitive environment, but do not establish whether Manawatu Titans was formally created as a successor, development squad or separate organisation. The teams should therefore be treated as related but distinct competition identities. Both names have continued appearing separately in event registrations and tournament standings. The 2025 NXL World Cup and 2026 Arena Race Series provide documented examples of this distinction. == Selected tournament results == {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Tournament ! Country ! Division ! Result |- | 2020 | New Zealand championship round | New Zealand | Unconfirmed | 1st, reported by Ralph Tsing |- | 2022 | NXL Lone Star Open | United States | Semi-Pro X-Ball | 10th of 11 |- | 2022 | NXL Golden State Open | United States | Semi-Pro X-Ball | 1st of 7 |- | 2022 | Super 7's Planet Eclipse Open | Australia | Professional | 4th of 9 |- | 2022 | NXL World Cup | United States | Semi-Pro X-Ball | 8th of 18 |- | 2022 | NXL season championship | United States | Semi-Pro X-Ball | 10th overall |- | 2023 | NXL Sunshine State Major | United States | Semi-Pro X-Ball | 17th of 26 |- | 2023 | NXL Lone Star Major | United States | Semi-Pro X-Ball | 15th of 24 |- | 2023 | NXL Mid-Atlantic Major | United States | Semi-Pro X-Ball | 16th of 25 |- | 2023 | NXL Windy City Major | United States | Semi-Pro X-Ball | 21st of 24 |- | 2023 | NXL World Cup | United States | Semi-Pro X-Ball | 15th of 26 |- | 2023 | NXL season championship | United States | Semi-Pro X-Ball | 14th overall |- | 2024 | Super 7's Round 1 | Australia | Professional | 2nd |- | 2024 | NXL World Cup | United States | Division 2 X-Ball | 21st of 23 |- | 2025 | NXL World Cup | United States | Semi-Pro X-Ball | 22nd of 23 |- | 2025 | NXL World Cup | United States | Pro 3v3 X-Ball | 9th of 12 |} The table includes selected documented tournament results. It does not include every domestic competition entered by the team. == Significance == Manawatu Titans has been among the New Zealand-based teams competing in the American National Xball League's Semi-Pro division. The team's 2022 Golden State Open title represents a documented championship victory in an American national tournament. Its participation across the 2023 NXL season also demonstrates an extended commitment to overseas competition from New Zealand. Manawatu Titans has additionally competed in Australia's professional tournament circuit and maintained participation in domestic New Zealand events. Through its association with Arena Paintball, the team is connected to an established tournament venue serving the wider Manawatū paintball community. The team's use of international guest players and participation in several competition formats reflect the cross-border nature of competitive paintball in New Zealand. == See also == * [[Expendables Feilding]] * [[Arena Paintball]] * [[Feilding Paintball Club]] * [[Ralph Tsing]] * [[Phoenix Tahiti]] * [[Paintball in New Zealand]] * [[Paintball in Australia]] * [[National Xball League]] * [[Super 7's Paintball Series]] * [[New Zealand Race Series]] == References == # [https://www.tahiti-infos.com/As-de-la-gachette-le-Tahitien-Ralph-Tsing-brille-en-Australie_a212439.html Collignon, Philippe. "As de la gâchette, le Tahitien Ralph Tsing brille en Australie." Tahiti Infos, 10 October 2022.] Contemporary interview identifying Tsing's 2020 and 2022 Manawatu Titans appearances and his Australian tournament award. # [https://pbleagues.com/team/V0Ti1XWul8q7ZGqG PBLeagues: Manawatu Titans]. Historical team profile, registration date, home town and NXL tournament results from 2022 to 2025. # [https://pbleagues.com/league/316/seasonRankings/2022 PBLeagues: National Xball League 2022 Season Rankings]. Official Semi-Pro season standings, including Manawatu Titans' tenth-place finish. # [https://pbleagues.com/event/7649/scores PBLeagues: Golden State Open 2022 Official Scores]. Semi-Pro preliminary results, semifinal and final. # [https://pbleagues.com/league/316/seasonRankings/2023 PBLeagues: National Xball League 2023 Season Rankings]. Official Semi-Pro season standings, including Manawatu Titans' fourteenth-place finish. # [https://pbleagues.com/team/roster/7vDh4dhNYgE4a5jd PBLeagues: Manawatu Titans at the Mid-Atlantic Major 2023]. Original event schedule and match results. # [https://pbleagues.com/cgi-bin/showteams.cgi?EID=9069&LID=2 PBLeagues: NXL World Cup 2025 Team Registrations]. Including Manawatu Titans' Pro X-Ball 3v3 entry. # [https://super7spaintball.com/results/ Super 7's Paintball Series: Historical Results]. Official Australian professional rankings, including the 2024 season. # [https://www.arenapaintball.co.nz/about Arena Paintball: About Us]. Venue information and description of its association with members of Manawatu Titans. # [https://www.arenapaintball.co.nz/events Arena Paintball: Events]. 2026 five-player Race Series dates and event information. # [https://www.findglocal.com/NZ/Feilding/102027051785091/Arena-Paintball Arena Paintball: 2026 Race Series Standings]. Results published 12 July 2026, following the second round. # [https://www.buzzsprout.com/922351/episodes/12205886-ep-103-brad-medes-of-the-manawatu-titans "EP: 103 Brad Medes of the Manawatu Titans." Overshot: A Paintball Podcast, 8 February 2023.] Interview covering Medes' career and participation with the team. == External links == * [https://pbleagues.com/team/V0Ti1XWul8q7ZGqG Manawatu Titans on PBLeagues] * [https://www.instagram.com/manawatu_titans/ Manawatu Titans on Instagram] * [https://www.arenapaintball.co.nz/ Arena Paintball] * [https://super7spaintball.com/results/ Super 7's Paintball historical results] [[Category:Paintball teams]] [[Category:Paintball in New Zealand]]
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