Editing Splatman


'''Splatman''' was a New Zealand commercial [[paintball]] operator based in [[Auckland]], active during the 1990s. The business was associated with [[Dave Pellet]] and was one of three founding field operators participating in the original [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)|New Zealand National Paintball League]] (NPL), which began competition in 1997.

A historical account preserved by [[Mercenaries Star]] identifies Splatman as operating '''four paintball fields in Auckland''' when the NPL was established. The other participating operators were Strategy Tag in Whangārei and [[Actions Paintball|Actions Paintball Sports Arena]] in Auckland.[1]

Pellet and [[Ian Southern]] were credited with developing the concept for the NPL, which attempted to establish a coordinated national tournament structure combining established major events with regular competition for developing teams.

Splatman maintained an early paintball website at '''www.splatman.co.nz''', linked from contemporary New Zealand paintball resources.[1][2]

== History ==

=== Early operations ===

Splatman operated in Auckland during the 1990s, a period when New Zealand paintball was developing from predominantly recreational games into a more organised competitive sport.

The earliest confirmed references to Splatman in the surviving research concern its involvement in establishing the National Paintball League during 1996–1997.

A historical account titled ''The Rise and Fall of the New Zealand National Paintball League'', preserved by Mercenaries Star, identifies Dave Pellet with Splatman and describes the company's participation in the inaugural NPL season.[1]

At that time, organised paintball in New Zealand was supported largely by commercial field operators, regional clubs and independent tournament organisers.

Commercial paintball fields supplied playing facilities, rental equipment and referees for recreational customers. Some also hosted competitions for experienced players using their own equipment.

Splatman's involvement in the NPL placed it among the commercial operators supporting the development of tournament paintball during this period.

=== Auckland playing fields ===

According to the historical NPL account, Splatman operated four fields in Auckland when the league began in 1997.[1]

The source does not provide the individual field names or street addresses.

It also does not establish whether the four fields were separate commercial locations or playing areas managed by the same operator.

The distinction is important when reconstructing the company's commercial history, since paintball businesses frequently operated multiple individual playing fields within a single venue.

Splatman's facilities were part of the original network of playing fields available to the National Paintball League.

The league's rotating competition structure depended on the availability of participating commercial facilities throughout the Auckland and Whangārei regions.

The surviving records do not establish the layout, size, terrain or equipment available at each Splatman field.

=== Expansion into tournament paintball ===

By the mid-1990s, New Zealand had an established programme of competitive paintball tournaments.

Major events included the New Zealand Nationals, Queen's Birthday competitions and regional tournaments in the North Island.

However, the organisation of competitive paintball was fragmented.

Individual tournament organisers maintained their own schedules, playing rules and administrative arrangements.

The limited availability of regular competitions could make it difficult for developing teams to obtain experience.

Dave Pellet and Ian Southern developed the concept for a national league intended to address these problems.

Splatman became one of the participating commercial operators when the league began in 1997.[1]

== National Paintball League ==

=== Origins ===

The original New Zealand National Paintball League was conceived during 1996 by Ian Southern and Dave Pellet.

The league's introductory letter was circulated in December 1996 in preparation for the first season.

The document was signed by Southern as '''New Zealand NPL Director, 1997'''.[3]

The historical NPL account explicitly credits both Southern and Pellet with originating the organisation.

The proposed league sought to coordinate established tournaments and introduce regular competition for developing players.

It also intended to improve the standards of refereeing and event administration.

=== Founding field operators ===

Three commercial paintball operators initially participated in the NPL.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Founding National Paintball League field operators, 1997
! Operator
! Region
! Fields recorded
|-
| '''Splatman'''
| Auckland
| 4
|-
| Strategy Tag
| Whangārei
| 1
|-
| [[Actions Paintball|Actions Paintball Sports Arena]]
| Auckland
| 1
|}

Source: ''The Rise and Fall of the New Zealand National Paintball League''.[1]

The participating operators supplied playing facilities for league competitions.

Each operator was to host games as part of a rotating schedule.

This arrangement was intended to share the logistical and commercial burden of tournament paintball.

Competitive players frequently required extensive playing time, while ordinary recreational bookings were generally more profitable for commercial operators.

The rotating arrangement meant that one field operator would not be responsible for hosting a disproportionate share of league activity.

Splatman's reported four fields represented a substantial contribution to the pool of facilities available to the organisation.

However, the surviving documentation does not identify which individual Splatman playing areas were used for particular competition rounds.

=== League independence ===

The original NPL introductory letter emphasised that the organisation would operate independently of individual commercial fields and equipment suppliers.[3]

It stated that the league did not intend to promote particular paintball brands or operators.

The organisation also did not plan to become a general retailer of paintball markers, paintballs or accessories.

This separation was notable because commercial businesses such as Splatman were essential to providing the physical infrastructure required for competition.

The NPL therefore attempted to combine the resources of participating operators with a national competition identity that was not exclusive to a single field.

The surviving introductory letter documents this intended approach, although it does not establish the league's complete legal or financial structure.

=== First Division ===

The NPL operated two competition divisions.

First Division incorporated major tournaments already established on the New Zealand calendar.

These included:

* [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* Queen's Birthday tournament
* [[Northland Open]]

The major tournaments were generally spaced several months apart.

First Division provided a framework for experienced teams already participating in national competition.

The historical NPL account describes these events as competitions that had existed independently before being brought together under the league's umbrella.[1]

There is no surviving evidence establishing that Splatman was the exclusive operator or promoter of any individual First Division tournament.

Its confirmed contribution was as a founding participating field operator.

=== Second Division ===

Second Division was intended for new and developing tournament players.

The competition was organised as a round-robin series, with teams travelling to participating commercial fields for scheduled games.

The inaugural 1997 programme contained six rounds.[4]

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 1997 NPL Second Division schedule
! Round
! Month
|-
| 1
| February
|-
| 2
| March
|-
| 3
| May
|-
| 4
| June
|-
| 5
| August
|-
| 6
| September
|}

Competition days were scheduled for the second Sunday of the designated months.

The competition rules specified that games would take place in the speedball arenas of participating fields.

Teams were required to field at least four players, with reserves permitted.

The competition followed rules derived from the Australian Paintball Players League (APPL).

The winner was to receive 10,000 paintballs and the title of New Zealand NPL Second Division Champions.[4]

The participation of multiple commercial operators, including Splatman, made it possible to offer regular games at different fields rather than organising the entire series at one location.

=== Player registration and competition costs ===

The original Second Division information sheet specified the following charges:

{| class="wikitable"
! Item
! Amount
|-
| Individual NPL membership
| NZ$10 per player
|-
| Team field fee
| NZ$30 per competition day
|-
| Paintballs purchased for competition
| NZ$0.12 per ball
|}

All participants, including reserve players, were required to register with the NPL.

The field fee was intended to contribute towards refereeing and tournament administration expenses.

The competition information sheet also required team captains to understand the applicable rules and take responsibility for their players.[4]

These charges were published NPL competition fees, not a surviving Splatman recreational price list.

=== Player development ===

The original NPL structure was designed to help players progress from recreational paintball into organised competition.

The historical account describes established First Division teams forming or adopting secondary teams to participate in Second Division.[1]

These secondary squads provided opportunities for newer players to develop their skills and potentially progress into established tournament teams.

The league also encouraged Second Division teams to enter major First Division events for experience.

This created a connection between regular local competition and the larger national tournament calendar.

Splatman's participation as a commercial field operator helped support the infrastructure on which this developmental competition depended.

== People ==

=== Dave Pellet ===

[[Dave Pellet]] was associated with Splatman and was one of the two individuals credited with conceiving the original National Paintball League.

Pellet had previously been involved in New Zealand paintball during the 1980s and early 1990s.

He was associated with '''Tactics Paintball''', an outdoor playing facility at Bethells Beach in west Auckland.

Historical photographs of Pellet's earlier field include equipment manufactured by [[Steve Constable]] and [[Pursuit Supplies International]] (PSI).

The Tactics venue also became associated with recreational scenario paintball, including the Revolution in Bethels Republic series.

Pellet's subsequent association with Splatman connected his commercial paintball experience with the development of organised national competition.

The surviving NPL account identifies him with Splatman but does not establish his exact ownership percentage, employment title or company directorship.

The available records also do not establish that Tactics Paintball and Splatman were the same legal business.

=== Ian Southern ===

[[Ian Southern]] worked with Dave Pellet in developing the National Paintball League.

Southern was identified as the league's inaugural director in the original introductory letter circulated in December 1996.[3]

The letter outlined plans to improve tournament standards, coordinate competitions and develop more consistent refereeing.

Southern's documented role was in the creation and administration of the NPL.

Although he worked with Pellet, the surviving records do not establish that Southern personally owned or managed Splatman's playing fields.

The relationship between Southern and Splatman should therefore be distinguished from his confirmed appointment as NPL director.

== Later history ==

=== NPL reorganisation in 1999 ===

The original two-division National Paintball League structure operated until 1999.

According to the history preserved by Mercenaries Star, the competition eventually lost the support of its participating field operators.[1]

The organisational demands of maintaining regular competition across multiple venues proved difficult to sustain.

[[Kyn Jackson]], associated with Actions Paintball Sports Arena, subsequently assumed responsibility for the remaining NPL arrangements.

Second Division was discontinued.

The surviving First Division continued in a reduced form, grouping established major tournaments under the NPL name.

The end of the original league structure did not necessarily mean that participating commercial businesses ceased operating.

The available records do not establish whether Splatman continued operating all four of its reported fields after 1999.

=== Appearance in historical directories ===

Splatman remained listed in the New Zealand paintball resource directory maintained by Mercenaries Star.

The directory grouped it under '''Fields and Clubs Pages''', identifying it as an Auckland operator.[2]

The listing appeared alongside links to other paintball resources, including commercial playing facilities, teams and community websites.

The directory linked to Splatman's own website, indicating that the business maintained an online presence during the early period of New Zealand paintball websites.

The directory's continued inclusion of Splatman does not independently establish the business's operational status on every date the page remained available.

=== Subsequent commercial history ===

The precise date on which Splatman ceased operating under that name has not been established.

No confirmed corporate registration, dissolution notice or contemporary closure announcement has been identified.

The surviving historical documents also do not establish whether Splatman's facilities were sold, transferred to other operators or closed individually.

Its confirmed role remains that of an Auckland field operator participating in the original NPL during the late 1990s.

== Website and online presence ==

=== Splatman website ===

Splatman maintained a website at:

'''www.splatman.co.nz'''

The address appears as a link in the historical NPL account preserved by Mercenaries Star.[1]

A second link appears in the site's New Zealand paintball directory.[2]

These contemporary references establish that Splatman maintained a website associated with its paintball operation.

The original website's contents have not been fully recovered.

Its historical captures may be searched through the Internet Archive.

=== Early New Zealand paintball internet community ===

Splatman's website formed part of a network of New Zealand paintball resources active during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

These included:

* [[Mercenaries Star]], which published tournament calendars, national rankings and historical documents.
* Paintball.co.nz, an independent information website associated with [[Rob Maddox]].
* Websites maintained by tournament teams and commercial playing fields.

These resources helped players discover paintball venues and obtain information about organised competitions.

The Mercenaries Star directory preserved links to businesses and teams whose original websites have subsequently disappeared.

== Historical significance ==

Splatman was one of the commercial operators supporting the development of organised tournament paintball in New Zealand during the 1990s.

Its principal documented contribution was participation in the establishment of the original National Paintball League in 1997.

The business was associated with Dave Pellet, who worked with Ian Southern to develop the league concept.

The NPL attempted to introduce consistent tournament administration and a regular competition system for developing players.

Splatman's reported four Auckland playing fields contributed to the commercial infrastructure available to that programme.

Its involvement also illustrates the importance of cooperation between commercial paintball businesses during a period when there was no established national infrastructure for administering regular tournament competition.

The surviving historical records connect Splatman with the formation of the NPL, while leaving its individual field locations, ownership structure and later commercial history incompletely documented.

== See also ==

* [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)]]
* [[Dave Pellet]]
* [[Ian Southern]]
* [[Tactics Paintball]]
* [[Mercenaries Star]]
* [[Kyn Jackson]]
* [[Actions Paintball]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* [[Northland Open]]

== References ==

# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Rules/Leagues/NPLIntro.htm The Rise and Fall of the New Zealand National Paintball League]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Historical account crediting Ian Southern and Dave Pellet with originating the NPL and identifying Splatman as an Auckland operator with four fields.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Links/NZPO.htm New Zealand Paintball Online Directory]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Historical field and club directory listing Splatman, Auckland, with a link to its website.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Rules/Leagues/NPLLetter.htm Welcome to the New Zealand National Paintball League]. Original introductory letter circulated in December 1996, signed by Ian Southern as New Zealand NPL Director, 1997.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Rules/Leagues/NPLDiv2.htm New Zealand National Paintball League – Division Two Tournament Information]. Original 1997 NPL competition information sheet documenting scheduled rounds, rules, registration fees and prizes.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/EventsIndex.htm Annual Tournament Events]. ''Mercenaries Star'', 2001. Historical tournament calendar identifying the original NPL as defunct.

== External links ==

* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.splatman.co.nz/ Splatman – historical website archive search]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Rules/Leagues/NPLIntro.htm Original NPL history identifying Splatman]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Links/NZPO.htm Contemporary paintball field and club directory]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Rules/Leagues/NPLLetter.htm Original 1997 National Paintball League introductory letter]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Rules/Leagues/NPLDiv2.htm Original NPL Second Division information sheet]

[[Category:Paintball fields in New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand paintball history]]
[[Category:Paintball in Auckland]]
[[Category:Paintball field operators]]
[[Category:1990s in paintball]]