National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition
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
| 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]
| 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
| 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]
| 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, 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
| Team | Saturday: Hill Field | Sunday: Moat Field |
|---|---|---|
| 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]
| Place | Team | Final points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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
References
- Ken Ryder, Invercargill 3-man Results – Jun 98, Paintball.co.nz; archived 12 August 2002.
- Ken Ryder, Invercargill Queens Birthday Tournament — 06/06/99 — 3-Man Centre Flag Nationals, Paintball.co.nz; archived 17 August 2002.
- Mark Abbott, The 2001 Invercargil 3-man, Paintball.co.nz; archived 14 August 2002.