Editing Tag n' Release


'''Tag n' Release''' (also written '''Tag and Release''' or '''T n' R''') was a New Zealand competitive [[paintball]] team based in [[Rotorua]], in the central North Island. Formed in '''March 2000''', the team became a prominent participant in national tournament paintball during the early 2000s and was involved in developing organised competition in the Rotorua region.

The team was captained by '''Gary Dykes''', with '''Peter Mumby''' serving as manager and '''Russell "Dangermouse" Clement''' responsible for information and historical records.[1]

Tag n' Release won the Second Division title at the '''2000 [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]''' and subsequently finished first in the five-man category of the independent [[Valhalla National Rankings]] in 2001.[1][2]

Beyond its tournament results, Tag n' Release helped establish the '''[[Rotorua Invitational]]''' in cooperation with the Rotorua Paintball Club. The event was intended to strengthen the central North Island paintball community and provide opportunities for developing teams to compete.[3]

The team's early history is unusually well documented through a contemporary profile contributed by Russell Clement to the [[Mercenaries Star]] website in April 2001.

== History ==

=== Formation in March 2000 ===

Tag n' Release was formed in Rotorua in March 2000.

According to the team's original profile, its members began playing paintball recreationally using rental equipment in bush environments.[1]

The players subsequently decided to enter organised competition.

Their early tournament experiences brought them into contact with more established New Zealand teams and introduced them to the equipment, rules and playing styles associated with competitive paintball.

The team was based at '''Paintball Rotorua''' and identified its home region as the central North Island.

Its early objectives extended beyond achieving tournament results.

These included developing the local paintball community, attending and hosting club days, organising a tournament and encouraging new players to become involved.

The team's published guiding principle was:

'''Play hard, play fair.'''

=== Team character ===

The April 2001 profile described Tag n' Release as a comparatively mature group of tournament players.

Its members had an average age of approximately '''38''' at the time.[1]

Clement commented humorously on the team's age, contrasting its relatively limited speed with confidence in its shooting ability.

This characteristic distinguished Tag n' Release from some younger New Zealand tournament squads.

The team was nevertheless able to progress quickly from recreational games to national-level competition.

=== Early tournament experience ===

Tag n' Release entered its first tournament during 2000.

The team's initial competitive appearance was at '''Actions Mayhem''', an Auckland tournament associated with [[Actions Paintball]].

The event proved challenging for players accustomed to recreational bush paintball.

The original team profile described the experience as a steep learning curve, while also emphasising that the players enjoyed their introduction to tournament competition.[1]

The team subsequently attended the Wellington Cup and the New Zealand Paintball Nationals.

These events provided the foundation for its rapid competitive development.

== Players and leadership ==

The original April 2001 team profile provides a contemporary list of officials and players.[1]

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Tag n' Release organisation, April 2001
! Name
! Role
|-
| '''Gary Dykes'''
| Captain
|-
| '''Peter Mumby'''
| Manager
|-
| '''Brendon Charles'''
| Treasurer
|-
| '''Russell Clement'''
| Information and historian
|-
| '''Gavin Mumby'''
| Team member
|-
| '''Shane Lukis'''
| Team member
|-
| '''Jeremy Jeffs'''
| Team member
|}

The list reflects the organisation as published in April 2001 and should not be treated as a complete roster for every tournament entered by the team.

=== Gary Dykes ===

'''Gary Dykes''' was the captain of Tag n' Release.

He was identified in the original team profile as the team's leader during its early competitive period.

The available sources do not establish the exact duration of his captaincy beyond the documented 2001 record.

=== Peter Mumby ===

'''Peter Mumby''' served as team manager.

He was also involved in organising the proposed expanded Rotorua Invitational, including contacting accommodation providers about discounts for visiting players.[3]

His activities demonstrate the administrative work undertaken by team members to support competitions and travelling players.

=== Russell Clement ===

'''Russell Clement''', also known as '''Dangermouse''', was responsible for information and historical records within Tag n' Release.

He contributed the team's April 2001 profile to Mercenaries Star.

Clement also wrote the original account of the Rotorua Invitational, documenting its objectives, organisation and inaugural event.

His reporting provides important contemporary evidence of tournament paintball in Rotorua during 2000–2001.

=== Other members ===

The April 2001 profile also named Brendon Charles, Gavin Mumby, Shane Lukis and Jeremy Jeffs.

Their inclusion documents the team's early membership and administrative structure.

The surviving information does not establish which players participated in every tournament or the precise playing positions used by individual members.

== Equipment ==

=== Early markers ===

The original April 2001 profile listed the team's available equipment as:

* Five Automag markers
* One Autococker
* One Spyder

The profile referred to these as five "mags", one "cocker" and one "spider".[1]

These marker types were common among recreational and competitive paintball players during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Automags were manufactured by Airgun Designs, while Autocockers were associated with Worr Game Products.

The Spyder was a lower-cost semi-automatic marker widely used by recreational players and players entering tournament competition.

=== Propellant systems ===

Most of the team's markers were operated using carbon dioxide (CO2).

The original profile specifically described the team as using predominantly CO2 equipment.

This reflects the period before high-pressure compressed-air systems became standard among most competitive paintball players.

=== Sponsorship ===

The April 2001 profile listed '''no sponsors'''.

The team therefore appears to have been operating without a formally identified commercial sponsor at that point.

Its equipment and tournament participation were documented independently of any named sponsorship arrangement.

== Tournament history ==

=== Actions Mayhem, 2000 ===

Tag n' Release made its tournament debut at '''Actions Mayhem 2000''' in Auckland.

The team competed in Second Division and finished '''fifth of six teams'''.

The original profile also preserved a preliminary-round score of '''74 out of 500'''.

{| class="wikitable"
! Competition
! Division
! Result
|-
| Actions Mayhem 2000
| Second Division
| 5th of 6
|}

The result reflected the team's early stage of development.

Despite the difficult competitive introduction, the players continued attending tournaments.

Their decision to persist led to substantially stronger results later in the same year.

=== Wellington Cup, 2000 ===

Tag n' Release subsequently competed at the '''2000 Wellington Cup'''.

The team's original profile records a '''second-place finish''' at the event.[1]

The preserved scoring table lists:

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Tag n' Release – Wellington Cup 2000
! Competition stage
! Points scored
! Maximum available
|-
| Round 1, Open
| 570
| 800
|-
| Round 2, Open
| 130
| 400
|}

The second-place result represented a considerable improvement over the team's debut at Actions Mayhem.

It also demonstrated that Tag n' Release could compete effectively beyond its Rotorua home region.

The individual scores above are original tournament figures, not Valhalla national ranking points.

=== New Zealand Paintball Nationals, 2000 ===

Tag n' Release achieved its first major documented championship result at the '''2000 New Zealand Paintball Nationals'''.

The event was held in Auckland.

The team advanced through the opening stage of competition and entered the Second Division finals.

It finished '''first in Second Division'''.[1]

The contemporary profile recorded the following scores:

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Tag n' Release – 2000 New Zealand Nationals
! Competition stage
! Result
! Points scored
! Maximum available
|-
| Round 1, Open
| Qualified for finals
| 655
| 1,000
|-
| Round 2, Second Division
| 1st
| 235
| 400
|}

The result was an important milestone for a team formed only months earlier.

The championship demonstrated the team's progression from recreational rental games to successful national tournament competition within its first year.

The Second Division title should be distinguished from the overall First Division championship at the same event.

=== 2000 Valhalla rankings ===

Tag n' Release appeared in the 2000 [[Valhalla National Rankings]], the first year in which that database was operating.

The team recorded a national ranking score of '''68.5''' and placed '''11th of 37 entries'''.[4]

{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Team
! National position
! Ranking score
|-
| 2000
| Tag n' Release
| 11th
| 68.5
|}

The leading teams in the ranking were Saints Gold, Team Crisis, Grey, Paint Contractors and Katipo 1.

Valhalla's rankings incorporated results from multiple tournaments using a normalised scoring system.

The 11th-place ranking was therefore separate from Tag n' Release's Second Division victory at the Nationals.

== 2001 season ==

=== Continued tournament participation ===

Tag n' Release entered 2001 as an established tournament team with experience at competitions in Auckland and Wellington.

The team continued to participate in regional and national events.

The original April 2001 profile included results from the Hawke's Bay Triples and Northland Open.[1]

=== Hawke's Bay Triples ===

Tag n' Release competed at the '''2001 Hawke's Bay Triples'''.

The team finished '''fourth''' in the opening round, recording 900 points out of a possible 1,400.

The tournament formed part of the developing central North Island competitive paintball calendar.

=== Northland Open ===

The team also attended the '''2001 Northland Open'''.

The original profile records a '''fifth-place''' result in the opening round, with 585 points out of 900.

Northland Open was one of the established competitions associated with the original National Paintball League's First Division programme.

Tag n' Release's continued participation reflected its intention to compete against teams from outside the central North Island.

== 2001 Valhalla National Rankings ==

=== Introduction of separate formats ===

In 2001, Valhalla published separate national rankings for seven-man, five-man and three-man competitions.

The surviving tables were labelled October 2001.

Unlike earlier seasons, the 2001 tables displayed cumulative round scores rather than average-based ranking figures.

Tag n' Release appeared in all three formats, including separately named developmental and three-player squads.[2]

=== Five-man national ranking leader ===

Tag n' Release finished '''first''' in the published 2001 five-man national rankings.

The team accumulated '''214.5 points''', narrowly ahead of Saints Gold with 211.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 2001 Valhalla five-man leading standings
! Position
! Team
! Total score
|-
| 1
| '''Tag n' Release'''
| 214.5
|-
| 2
| Saints Gold
| 211
|-
| 3
| House Steiner
| 93.4
|-
| 4
| DamNatives
| 82.3
|-
| 5
| Phoenix (WGN)
| 67.1
|}

The ranking incorporated results from the South Pacific Championships and Wellington Cup Five-Mans.

Tag n' Release's individual scoring contributions were:

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Tag n' Release – 2001 five-man ranking contributions
! Competition stage
! Ranking points
|-
| South Pacific Championships, Round 1
| 68.3
|-
| South Pacific Championships, Round 2
| 56.5
|-
| Wellington Cup, Round 1
| 89.7
|-
! Total
! 214.5
|}

The first-place national ranking was a significant result for a team established only the previous year.

Valhalla described the leading team in each category as its national champion.

This designation referred to the independent ranking database and should not automatically be confused with an official governing-body championship.

=== Tag n' Release Training ===

The five-man table also included a separate entry named '''Tag n' Release Training'''.

The squad placed '''seventh of sixteen entries''', recording 52.3 points from the Wellington Cup.

The result demonstrates the team's use of additional competitive entries beyond its principal five-man squad.

The available source does not establish a full roster for Tag n' Release Training.

=== Seven-man competition ===

Tag n' Release participated in the seven-man category, which included results from the Northland Open, RotoVegas and New Zealand Paintball Nationals.

The team finished '''eighth of 23 entries''', with a cumulative score of '''192.9'''.[2]

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Tag n' Release – 2001 seven-man ranking contributions
! Competition stage
! Points
|-
| Northland Open
| 65
|-
| RotoVegas preliminary round
| 62.5
|-
| New Zealand Nationals preliminary round
| 65.4
|-
! Total
! 192.9
|}

The result placed the team among the top ten published seven-man entries.

The leading teams were Saints Gold, Jetts and Katipo.

=== Three-man competition ===

Tag n' Release also fielded teams in three-man competition.

Two separately named entries appeared in the Valhalla rankings:

* '''Tag n' Release GPS'''
* '''Tag n' Release RAG'''

==== Tag n' Release GPS ====

Tag n' Release GPS finished '''third of 30 entries''' in the published three-man rankings.

The squad scored '''159.3 points'''.[2]

Its recorded results were:

{| class="wikitable"
! Competition stage
! Points
|-
| Hawke's Bay Triples
| 64.3
|-
| Combat Zone Three-Mans, preliminary round
| 70
|-
| Combat Zone Three-Mans, final
| 25
|-
! Total
! 159.3
|}

GPS finished behind DamNatives Red and Insane, but ahead of Saints Gold.

==== Tag n' Release RAG ====

Tag n' Release RAG finished '''13th''' in the three-man rankings with 53.3 points.

Its recorded result came from the preliminary round of the Combat Zone Three-Mans.

The meanings of the GPS and RAG squad abbreviations have not been established from the surviving sources.

=== Summary of 2001 rankings ===

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Tag n' Release entries in the October 2001 Valhalla rankings
! Format
! Entry
! Position
! Score
|-
| Five-man
| Tag n' Release
| 1st of 16
| 214.5
|-
| Five-man
| Tag n' Release Training
| 7th of 16
| 52.3
|-
| Seven-man
| Tag n' Release
| 8th of 23
| 192.9
|-
| Three-man
| Tag n' Release GPS
| 3rd of 30
| 159.3
|-
| Three-man
| Tag n' Release RAG
| 13th of 30
| 53.3
|}

The multiple entries demonstrate that Tag n' Release had developed beyond a single tournament squad by 2001.

== Rotorua Invitational ==

=== Origins ===

Tag n' Release helped establish the '''Rotorua Invitational''' in cooperation with the Rotorua Paintball Club.

The event was conceived as a way to strengthen competitive paintball in the central North Island.

The organisers wanted to bring together teams of different experience levels in a competitive but welcoming environment.

This objective was consistent with Tag n' Release's original goals of expanding participation, encouraging local club days and developing additional tournaments.

Russell Clement documented the event's objectives and early history through Mercenaries Star.[3]

=== Inaugural event, December 2000 ===

The first Rotorua Invitational took place on '''Sunday, 3 December 2000''' at '''Blue Lake Reserve, Rotorua'''.

Four teams attended:

* Tag n' Release
* Katipo
* Havoc
* DamNatives

The competition used a temporary speedball field constructed with portable barriers.

The barriers were arranged symmetrically, and protective mesh was installed to separate spectators from the playing area.

Participating teams helped set up the field.

=== Tournament format ===

The organisers adopted a round-robin format in which each team played every other team twice.

Refereeing duties were shared between teams when they were not playing.

The arrangements were intended to give participants experience both in competition and in officiating.

The event included a barbecue lunch and local radio publicity.

Although designed as a social development event, the games were reported as competitive.

=== Katipo victory ===

At the conclusion of the inaugural event, '''Katipo''' had accumulated the most points and was declared the winner.

Clement's report thanked the competing teams for travelling to Rotorua and assisting with the event.

It also acknowledged the Rotorua Paintball Club's contribution of the playing field and gas.

The report expressed the organisers' ambition to expand future editions to six teams.

=== Proposed regular series ===

Tag n' Release initially hoped to hold Rotorua Invitational events every two or three months.

The original concept included inviting teams from different regions and using a trophy engraved with the names of successive winners.

This would have created a recurring regional tournament series.

The available records establish the inaugural event and the organisers' intentions, but do not document a complete sequence of subsequent events.

== Proposed Queen's Birthday tournament ==

=== Expansion plans ===

Following the inaugural Rotorua Invitational, Tag n' Release developed plans for a larger tournament at '''Rotorua International Stadium'''.

The proposed event was intended for Queen's Birthday weekend and was advertised as a two-day seven-man competition.

The stadium was described as having recently undergone an upgrade costing approximately NZ$5 million.[3]

The organisers hoped to take advantage of the venue's dressing rooms, player facilities and spectator seating.

=== Planned facilities ===

The proposed tournament included:

* Two Sup'AirBall playing fields
* Seven-man competition
* Two divisions
* Trophies and prizes
* Supplier displays
* Spectator facilities
* A players' social event

The announced team entry fee was '''NZ$500'''.

The organisers also discussed accommodating visiting players in local motels, with anticipated rates of approximately NZ$25–40 per person per night.

Peter Mumby was involved in obtaining accommodation arrangements for visitors.

The organisers hoped that Australian teams would attend, although participation was not confirmed in the surviving announcement.

=== Involvement of Kyn Jackson ===

[[Kyn Jackson]], associated with [[Actions Paintball]] and the original National Paintball League, was identified as having some involvement in the proposed event.

The announcement explained that Tag n' Release members had undertaken most of the planning and intended for Jackson to handle aspects of tournament-day administration.

This distinction is important: the original proposal was initiated and developed by Tag n' Release, rather than being solely a Kyn Jackson or Actions Paintball event.

=== Status of the proposal ===

The surviving announcement establishes the organisers' intentions and planning arrangements.

It does not independently confirm that the proposed two-day stadium event took place in its advertised form.

The December 2000 Blue Lake Reserve competition is separately documented as having occurred.

The proposal should therefore not be treated as a completed stadium tournament without additional contemporary results or reporting.

== Paintball Rotorua ==

=== Home field ===

The original Tag n' Release team profile identified '''Paintball Rotorua''' as its home field.

The facility provided a base for the team during its early competitive development.

The team also worked with the Rotorua Paintball Club on tournament organisation.

The available records do not establish whether Paintball Rotorua and the Rotorua Paintball Club were the same legal organisation.

=== Regional competition development ===

Rotorua was an important location for competitive paintball during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

It was associated with events including RotoVegas and the Rotorua Invitational.

Tag n' Release contributed to this environment through tournament participation, event planning and encouragement of local players.

Mercenaries Star's 2001 tournament calendar specifically identified Tag n' Release as the organisation developing the proposed Rotorua Invitational series.[5]

The team's role therefore extended beyond competition results.

== Online presence ==

=== Original website ===

Tag n' Release maintained a team website at:

'''www.oocities.org/tnrpaintball/'''

The address was listed in its April 2001 profile on Mercenaries Star.

The surviving original profile also recorded the team's roster, objectives, tournament results and equipment.

=== Mercenaries Star ===

The team was listed in the New Zealand paintball directory maintained by Mercenaries Star.

The directory identified Tag n' Release as a Rotorua-based team.

Mercenaries Star also hosted the original Tag n' Release profile and the Rotorua Invitational report.

These pages are among the most detailed surviving contemporary sources for the team's history.

== Historical significance ==

Tag n' Release was an important example of the development of competitive paintball outside Auckland during the early 2000s.

Formed in March 2000 by players whose experience had primarily involved recreational bush games, the team entered organised competition and improved rapidly.

Within its first season, Tag n' Release had finished second at the Wellington Cup and won Second Division at the New Zealand Paintball Nationals.

Its progression continued in 2001, when it led the published national five-man rankings and placed among the leading teams in seven-man and three-man competition.

The existence of additional squads such as Tag n' Release Training, GPS and RAG illustrates the team's development beyond one competitive roster.

The team also made an important contribution to local tournament organisation.

Its work with the Rotorua Paintball Club to establish the Rotorua Invitational created opportunities for teams from different regions and levels of experience to compete.

The surviving 2001 team profile, tournament records and event reports provide an unusually detailed account of a New Zealand paintball team's formation, leadership, equipment, early achievements and community activities.

== See also ==

* [[Valhalla National Rankings]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* [[Rotorua Invitational]]
* [[Rotorua Paintball Club]]
* [[Northland Open]]
* [[South Pacific Championships]]
* [[Katipo Paintball Team]]
* [[Saints Paintball Team]]
* [[Team Insane]]
* [[Mercenaries Star]]
* [[Kyn Jackson]]

== References ==

# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Links/TagNRelease.htm Tag n' Release Team Profile]. ''Mercenaries Star'', April 2001. Original profile contributed by Russell Clement, recording the team's formation, home field, equipment, leadership, membership and 2000–2001 tournament results.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2001Hall.htm Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 2001]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Published October 2001 rankings covering seven-man, five-man and three-man competition, including Tag n' Release and its separately named squads.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/RIIndex.htm Rotorua Invitational Paintball Days]. Russell "Dangermouse" Clement, ''Mercenaries Star''. Contemporary account of the inaugural 3 December 2000 event, its aims and organisation, together with the later proposed Queen's Birthday stadium tournament.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2000Hall.htm Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 2000]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Lists Tag n' Release with a ranking score of 68.5, 11th among 37 entries.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/EventsIndex.htm Annual Tournament Events]. ''Mercenaries Star'', 2001. Historical competition calendar discussing Rotorua Invitational plans and their association with Tag n' Release and Paintball Rotorua.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Links/NZPO.htm New Zealand Paintball Online Directory]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Lists Tag n' Release as a Rotorua-based paintball team.

== External links ==

* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Links/TagNRelease.htm Original Tag n' Release team profile, April 2001]
* [https://www.oocities.org/tnrpaintball/ Historical Tag n' Release website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.geocities.com/tnrpaintball/ Tag n' Release website – historical archive search]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/RIIndex.htm Original Rotorua Invitational article]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2000Hall.htm 2000 national rankings]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2001Hall.htm 2001 five-man, seven-man and three-man rankings]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/EventsIndex.htm Historical tournament calendar]

[[Category:New Zealand paintball teams]]
[[Category:New Zealand paintball history]]
[[Category:Paintball in Rotorua]]
[[Category:Paintball in the Bay of Plenty]]
[[Category:2000 establishments in New Zealand]]
[[Category:2000s in paintball]]