National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition - Revision history

Admin: Expand the early history with links to the 1994 and 1996 editions, add contemporary 1996 advertising and its date discrepancy, attribute the founding date to Ken Ryder and add the Southland category. Preserve later tournament coverage.

2026-10-27T08:38:38Z

Expand the early history with links to the 1994 and 1996 editions, add contemporary 1996 advertising and its date discrepancy, attribute the founding date to Ken Ryder and add the Southland category. Preserve later tournament coverage.

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:38, 27 October 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	The '''National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition''', also known as the '''Invercargill Three-Man''' and '''3-Man Centre Flag Nationals''', was a paintball tournament held in Invercargill, New Zealand. ~~Established in~~ 1994~~, it~~ became associated with Queen's Birthday weekend and was nicknamed the '''Winter Games'''.[1]		The '''National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition''', also known as the '''Invercargill Three-Man''' and '''3-Man Centre Flag Nationals''', was a paintball tournament held in Invercargill, New Zealand. Organiser Ken Ryder dated its establishment to 1994. The competition became associated with Queen's Birthday weekend and was nicknamed the '''Winter Games'''.[1]

	== History ==		== History ==
	=== ~~Early years~~ ===		=== 1994 ===
	According to ~~organiser Ken~~ Ryder's 1998 account, four teams entered the inaugural competition ~~in 1994~~, which was won by S.L.O.B.s. Participation reached eleven teams in 1996.[1]		According to Ryder's 1998 account, four teams entered the inaugural [[1994 Invercargill Three-Man Tournament\|1994 competition]], which was won by S.L.O.B.s.[1]

			=== 1996 ===
			Participation reached eleven teams at the [[1996 National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition\|1996 competition]], according to Ryder.[1]

			Contemporary advertising called the event the 3-Man Centre Flag Open and named Ryder as the contact. The published calendar listed 15 June while also identifying the event with Queen's Birthday, leaving its exact dates unresolved.[4]

	=== 1998 ===		=== 1998 ===
Line 19:		Line 24:

	== Editions ==		== Editions ==
			* [[1994 Invercargill Three-Man Tournament]]
			* [[1996 National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition]]
	* [[1998 National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition]]		* [[1998 National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition]]
	* [[1999 National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition]]		* [[1999 National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition]]
Line 24:		Line 31:

	== References ==		== References ==
	# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020812223935/http://www.paintball.co.nz/3manovr.htm ~~Ken Ryder, ''~~Invercargill 3-man Results – Jun 98'', NZ Paintball Online, ~~archived~~ 12 August 2002.]		# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020812223935/http://www.paintball.co.nz/3manovr.htm Invercargill 3-man Results – Jun 98]. Ken Ryder, NZ Paintball Online, June 1998. Archived 12 August 2002.
	# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020817070229/http://www.paintball.co.nz/u060699.htm ~~Ken Ryder, ''~~Invercargill Queens Birthday Tournament — 06/06/99 — 3-Man Centre Flag Nationals'', NZ Paintball Online~~, archived~~ 17 August 2002.]		# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020817070229/http://www.paintball.co.nz/u060699.htm Invercargill Queens Birthday Tournament — 06/06/99 — 3-Man Centre Flag Nationals]. Ken Ryder, NZ Paintball Online. Archived 17 August 2002.
	# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020814203254/http://www.paintball.co.nz/inv2001.htm ~~Mark Abbott, ''~~The 2001 Invercargil 3-man'', NZ Paintball Online~~, archived~~ 14 August 2002.]		# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020814203254/http://www.paintball.co.nz/inv2001.htm The 2001 Invercargil 3-man]. Mark Abbott, NZ Paintball Online. Archived 14 August 2002.
			# “New Zealand Tournament Calendar 1996”, ''[[Australian Paintballer]]'', April–June 1996, p. 70.

	[[Category:Paintball tournaments in New Zealand]]		[[Category:Paintball tournaments in New Zealand]]
			[[Category:Paintball in Southland]]
	[[Category:New Zealand paintball history]]		[[Category:New Zealand paintball history]]
	[[Category:1990s in New Zealand paintball]]		[[Category:1990s in New Zealand paintball]]
	[[Category:2000s in New Zealand paintball]]		[[Category:2000s in New Zealand paintball]]

Admin: Consolidate the competition overview, preserving its early history and documented champions while linking the published edition articles and removing duplicated results and routine rosters.

2026-10-25T14:55:59Z

Consolidate the competition overview, preserving its early history and documented champions while linking the published edition articles and removing duplicated results and routine rosters.

Show changes

Admin: Create sourced Invercargill three-player tournament history, including 1998 squads, 1999 and 2001 finals, and dated player records; retain published scoring discrepancies and distinguish preliminary totals from final results.

2026-10-25T12:39:59Z

Create sourced Invercargill three-player tournament history, including 1998 squads, 1999 and 2001 finals, and dated player records; retain published scoring discrepancies and distinguish preliminary totals from final results.

New page

'''National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition''', also described as the '''Invercargill Three-Man''' and '''3-Man Centre Flag Nationals''', was a paintball tournament held in Invercargill, New Zealand. Contemporary reports document three-player centre-flag competition during Queen's Birthday weekend, with teams travelling from other South Island centres.[1][2]

== History ==

=== Early years ===

Organiser Ken Ryder's 1998 report dated the competition's beginnings to '''1994''', when '''S.L.O.B.s''' won the inaugural event. He recorded four teams at the first tournament and eleven in 1996.[1]

The competition acquired the nickname '''Winter Games''', reflecting its winter scheduling and conditions.[1]

=== 1998 ===

Four teams competed over one and a half days during Queen's Birthday weekend. Each team played six matches across the Hill and Moat fields. Matches comprised three ends, each limited to five minutes, with teams attempting to take a central flag to their opponents' starting position.[1]

Dave Hancox was identified as a co-organiser.[1]

==== Squads ====

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 1998 event squads
! Team !! Home location !! Captain !! Other players
|-
| S.L.O.B.s (Slow Old Bastards) || Invercargill || Dave Hancox || Paul Murdoch; Ricky Saunders; Craig Martin (reserve)
|-
| WarPigs || Invercargill || Allan Grigg || Mark Anderson; Craig Martin
|-
| K.S.B. || Dunedin || Kerry Brooks || Steve Sharpe; Brian “B2” Thornley
|-
| The Last Boy Scouts || Christchurch-based || Brian “B1” Meckle || Aaron Morris; Alex Gordon joined on Sunday
|}

The report spells Thornley's first name “Bryan”. Craig Martin appears in both local squads because the rules permitted a player to reserve for two teams. The Last Boy Scouts played four of their six matches with only two players.[1]

==== Results ====

The report published the following totals and described S.L.O.B.s and WarPigs advancing to a final in which their scores reset to zero.[1]

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Published 1998 totals
! Team !! Points
|-
| S.L.O.B.s || 291
|-
| WarPigs || 278
|-
| K.S.B. || 224
|-
| The Last Boy Scouts || 90
|}

The account gives a nine-point margin in the final but does not explicitly identify its winner or complete score. Its stated 22-point gap before the final also conflicts with the published totals. K.S.B. is explicitly described as finishing third.[1]

Mark Anderson received the Most Improved Player award, and B1 Meckle received the sportsmanship award.[1]

=== 1999 ===

The '''6 June 1999''' tournament was held at the Southern Paintball Sports Club's fields. Ryder's report distinguished this venue from Muritangi Scout Camp, which had hosted previous editions.[2]

Four teams competed over one day: Deviants from Dunedin, and Psychosis, Courage Under Fire and Lycka from Invercargill. Play took place on two fields, including a smaller speedball field used for the final.[2]

==== Results ====

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Published 1999 round-robin totals
! Team !! Points
|-
| Psychosis || 149
|-
| Deviants || 148
|-
| Courage Under Fire || 66
|-
| Lycka || 3
|}

The report prints Courage Under Fire's total as 66, although its individual match scores sum to 69.[2]

Deviants defeated Psychosis '''66–23''' in the final.[2]

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 1999 final
! Place !! Team !! Final points
|-
| 1 || Deviants || 66
|-
| 2 || Psychosis || 23
|}

==== Named participants ====

Ken Ryder identified himself as a Psychosis player in his report. Alex Gordon received the sportsmanship award after standing aside to allow visiting player Neil Harris to play; the account does not identify their team.[2]

=== 2000 ===

The following year's report described Flashpoint as the defending champion, recording its title win in 2000.[3]

=== 2001 ===

Four teams attended the two-day 2001 tournament: [[Flashpoint (New Zealand)|Flashpoint]], [[Damage Inc]], TeamX and Fear Factory. TeamX was explicitly identified as Damage Inc's second team.[3]

Saturday's games were played on the Hill Field and Sunday's on the Moat Field. Each team played the other three teams on both days.[3]

==== Preliminary scores ====

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 2001 daily preliminary totals
! Team !! Saturday: Hill Field !! Sunday: Moat Field
|-
| [[Flashpoint (New Zealand)|Flashpoint]] || 111 || 144
|-
| [[Damage Inc]] || 56 || 119
|-
| Fear Factory || 56 || 41
|-
| TeamX || 27 || −14
|}

The Sunday figures represent that day's matches, rather than cumulative weekend totals.[3]

==== Final ====

Flashpoint and Damage Inc advanced to the final on the Moat Field. Flashpoint hung the flag from both ends and won '''49–4''', retaining its title.[3]

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 2001 final
! Place !! Team !! Final points
|-
| 1 || [[Flashpoint (New Zealand)|Flashpoint]] || 49
|-
| 2 || [[Damage Inc]] || 4
|}

==== Named players ====

Report author '''Mark Abbott''' identified himself as playing for Damage Inc while describing the team's tactics. The account does not supply complete named squads.[3]

== See also ==

* [[Paintball in New Zealand]]
* [[Dunedin City Challenge]]
* [[Flashpoint (New Zealand)]]
* [[Damage Inc]]

== References ==

# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020812223935/http://www.paintball.co.nz/3manovr.htm Ken Ryder, ''Invercargill 3-man Results – Jun 98'', Paintball.co.nz; archived 12 August 2002.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020817070229/http://www.paintball.co.nz/u060699.htm Ken Ryder, ''Invercargill Queens Birthday Tournament — 06/06/99 — 3-Man Centre Flag Nationals'', Paintball.co.nz; archived 17 August 2002.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020814203254/http://www.paintball.co.nz/inv2001.htm Mark Abbott, ''The 2001 Invercargil 3-man'', Paintball.co.nz; archived 14 August 2002.]

[[Category:Paintball tournaments in New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand paintball history]]
[[Category:1990s in New Zealand paintball]]
[[Category:2000s in New Zealand paintball]]