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Added Rik Goldsworthy’s recollection of the 1991 Australasian South Pacific ten-player Open without assigning a placing or team result. Added Keith Docherty’s documented membership and retained Ian MacDonald’s contemporary profile.
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'''Saints''', also known as '''Team Saints''', was a New Zealand tournament [[paintball]] organisation active during the 1990s and 2000s. It fielded squads including '''Saints Gold''', '''Saints Black''' and '''Saints Grey'''. Saints Gold led the independent [[Valhalla National Rankings]] in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and headed the published seven-player standings dated October 2001.[1][2][3][4]
'''Saints''' was a New Zealand tournament [[paintball]] organisation based in Auckland. It competed under the names '''Saints''', '''Team Saints''', '''Saints Gold''', '''Saints Black''' and '''Saints Grey''', and also fielded numbered three-player entries as '''Saints 1''' and '''Saints 2'''.[1][2][3][4][5]


Contemporary player profiles identify [[Rik Goldsworthy]] as captain and [[Amon Johnson]], [[David Caton]], [[Ian MacDonald]], [[Jo Pitts]] and Keith Docherty as members.[15][16][17][18][19][20]
Saints won the New Zealand South Pacific Championships in 1995, multiple national tournaments during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and the 2005 New Zealand ranking series as reported by a participating organiser.[6][7][8][9][10]
 
== Team identity ==
 
Saints Gold, Saints Black and Saints Grey were squads of the same Saints organisation rather than unrelated teams. The numbered Saints 1 and Saints 2 entries at the 2002 Gathering were also separate squads from the organisation.[5]
 
The Valhalla rankings sometimes shortened Saints Grey to '''Grey'''. Those entries are treated as Saints Grey where they occur alongside the other Saints squads in the relevant New Zealand records. Published event names are retained in result tables rather than being silently standardised to Saints Gold.
 
The available sources do not establish a precise founding date.


== History ==
== History ==


=== 1991 tournament recollection ===
=== 1995–1996 ===
 
Saints won the 1995 New Zealand [[South Pacific Championships]], held in Wellington during Easter.[6]
 
Later in 1995, Saints competed in the Australian South Pacific Paintball Championships near Windsor, New South Wales. Seven ten-player teams contested the event, but Saints did not advance to the finals.[11]
 
On 21–22 October 1995, Saints won a seven-player tournament at Tactics, Bethells Beach, Auckland. The team won nine of its ten games and scored 910 points. The contemporary report identified Rik Goldsworthy, printed as Rick, as captain.[7]
 
Saints competed in the professional division of the 1996 [[Australian Masters]] at Skirmish Adventures in Helensburgh, New South Wales. The recovered report does not establish its final placing.[12]
 
=== 1997 season ===
 
At the [[1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]], Saints Black finished second with 866 points and Saints Grey finished fifth with 780 points. Jo Pitts was identified as Saints Black captain. The report noted that other Saints players were competing in Orlando.[1]


In his contemporary New Zealand Paintball profile, preserved in February 1998, Saints captain Rik Goldsworthy named the '''1991 Australasian South Pacific ten-player Open''' when asked about his greatest paintball achievement. His brief response does not clearly establish a placing or identify the team with which he competed.[15]
The Valhalla rankings placed Saints Black second with 79 ranking points. The associated Grey entry, identified here as Saints Grey, recorded 71 points.[13]


=== 1995 season ===
=== 1998 season ===


Saints won the 1995 New Zealand [[South Pacific Championships]], held in Wellington over the Easter weekend.[5]
Saints won the [[1998 Northland Open]], finishing ahead of Paint Contractors.[14]


Later that year, the team competed in the Australian South Pacific Paintball Championships at Adventure Quest Games near Windsor, New South Wales. Saints did not advance to the finals.[6]
At the [[1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]], Saints Gold won with 1,290 points from a possible 1,300. Saints Grey finished third with 970 points. Rik Goldsworthy was identified as Saints Gold captain.[2]


On 21–22 October 1995, Saints won a seven-player tournament at Tactics, Bethells Beach, Auckland. The team won nine of its ten games and scored 910 points. The contemporary report identified Rik Goldsworthy, recorded as Rick, as captain.[7]
Saints Gold led the 1998 Valhalla rankings with 92.5 points. Saints Grey, printed as Grey, recorded 78 points, while Saints Black recorded 64.[15]


=== 1997–2000 ===
=== 1999 season ===


Saints Black placed second in the 1997 Valhalla rankings with 79 points.[8]
At the [[1999 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]], Saints Gold finished second with 1,025 points, behind Paint Contractors. Saints Grey finished sixth with 715 points.[3]


Jo Pitts's contemporary player profile records a Saints trip to Australia in November 1997, including games against Thunderpigs and Black Reign's second team.[19]
Saints Gold received the Team of the Year award presented at the tournament. Marty Friend received the Player of the Year award for sportsmanship and attitude.[3]


Saints Gold led the Valhalla rankings in 1998 with 92.5 points, followed by further first-place rankings in 1999 and 2000, both with 91 points. Saints Black and the separately listed Grey squad also appeared in the rankings during this period.[1][2][3]
Saints Gold led the 1999 Valhalla rankings with 91 points. Saints Grey, printed as Grey, recorded 77 points.[16]
 
=== 2000 season ===
 
Saints won the [[2000 Northland Open]] at Jubilee Park in Whangārei.[17]
 
At the [[2000 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]], the entry printed as Saints won Division One after recording 1,000 preliminary points. The report does not publish the team's final-round points.[8]
 
Saints Gold led the 2000 Valhalla rankings with 91 points. Saints Grey, printed as Grey, recorded 82.5 points, and Saints Black recorded 50.[18]


=== 2001 season ===
=== 2001 season ===


In the Valhalla standings dated October 2001, Saints Gold ranked first in seven-player competition with 400.5 cumulative points. Its recorded results came from the [[Northland Open]], RotoVegas and [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]].[4]
Saints won the [[2001 Northland Open]] at Jubilee Park on 25 February with 900 points.[19]
 
At the [[2001 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]], Saints won Division One with 225 final-round points, ahead of Katipo, Jetts and Flashpoint. The report described the team as led by Rik Goldsworthy.[9]
 
The October 2001 Valhalla standings placed Saints Gold first in seven-player competition with 400.5 cumulative ranking points. Saints Gold also placed second in the five-player rankings with 211 points and fourth in the three-player rankings with 152.5 points.[4]
 
=== 2002 competition ===
 
At the Gathering at Actions Paintball on 26 January 2002, Saints fielded two three-player squads. Saints 2 won with 20 points, while Saints 1 shared second place with GPS and GBR on 16 points.[5]
 
The following day, Saints won the Combat Zone three-player tournament in Ardmore with 730 points.[20]
 
Saints also won the [[2002 Northland Open]], scoring 666 points and taking the Division One title. Rik Goldsworthy was identified as captain.[10]
 
=== 2004 season ===
 
Saints competed at the opening round of the 2004 [[National Professional Paintball League]] Super 7 Series at Huntington Beach, California, on 19–21 March. Captain Rik Goldsworthy subsequently reported that Saints won three of its eight games.[21][22]
 
At the [[2004 Wellington X-Cess]] during Easter, Saints reached the Cup final and finished second after losing two consecutive games to the visiting American Evil Factory team.[23]


Saints Gold also ranked second in five-player competition with 211 points and fourth in three-player competition with 152.5 points.[4]
Saints was runner-up at the [[2004 Auckland Queen’s Birthday Superball|Auckland Queen's Birthday Superball]] at Kumeu. Its best-of-three final against Evil Factory NZ was tied after the first two games and the deciding game ended in a draw. Evil Factory NZ received first place on individual-game countback.[24]


These were independent rankings compiled from tournament results, rather than placings at a single championship.[4][9]
Saints also competed at the [[2004 Rotorua Paintball Tournament|Rotorua International Stadium tournament]] during Labour Weekend. The recovered report records a pool-stage loss to Evil Factory NZ but does not include Saints among the four Cup finalists or establish its final overall placing.[25]


=== 2004 Huntington Beach ===
=== 2005 ranking series ===


Saints competed at the opening round of the 2004 [[National Professional Paintball League]] Super 7 Series at Huntington Beach, California, on 19–21 March.[10]
A retrospective account by a participating organiser identified two completed New Zealand ranking events in 2005. Saints won the Easter event with 50 ranking points and placed third at Kumeu with 43 points.[26]


In an April 2004 interview with Rob Maddox for [[Paintball.co.nz]], captain Rik Goldsworthy reported that Saints won three of its eight games.[11]
The account placed Saints first for the season with 93 points, ahead of Hybrid on 46 and Menace on 43. It was posted during a later forum dispute rather than as an independently authenticated official standings sheet, so the result is attributed to its author.[26]


A photographic collection published through Martin Dannefaerd's Flickr account documents Saints at the event.[12]
=== 2006 season ===


== Players and leadership ==
An organiser's post dated 19 April 2006 identified Saints as the Cup winner at the [[2006 Wellington Easter Tournament]]. The recovered discussion does not provide a complete result table.[27]


=== Contemporary profiles ===
Saints competed in Division One of the 2006 [[Super 5s (New Zealand)|Super 5s]]. The final standings placed it fourth with 3,203 championship points, behind Menace, XXX and Phantom.[28]


The New Zealand Paintball website published profiles identifying the following Saints members. The profiles survive in Internet Archive captures from February 1998; the capture dates do not establish when each player joined the team.[15][16][17][18][19][20]
== Players and leadership ==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Player
! Person
! Documented team involvement
! Documented association
! Source
|-
|-
| [[Rik Goldsworthy]]
| [[Rik Goldsworthy]]
| Identified as Team Saints captain. His profile spells his surname “Goldworthy”.
| Saints captain in dated records from 1995, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2004.[2][7][9][10][22]
| [15]
|-
| [[Jo Pitts]]
| Saints Black captain at the 1997 Nationals.[1]
|-
|-
| [[Amon Johnson]]
| [[Amon Johnson]]
| Identified as a Team Saints member.
| Identified as a Saints member in a contemporary player profile.[29]
| [16]
|-
|-
| [[David Caton]]
| [[David Caton]]
| Described as a longstanding Saints member and manager of the Auckland [[Commando One Paintball]] field.
| Identified as a longstanding Saints member in a contemporary profile.[30]
| [17]
|-
|-
| [[Ian MacDonald]]
| [[Ian MacDonald]]
| Described as a longstanding Saints member. His profile records his participation in and support for stock-class paintball.
| Identified as a longstanding Saints member in a contemporary profile.[31]
| [18]
|-
|-
| [[Jo Pitts]]
| [[Keith Docherty]]
| Identified as a Saints member who previously played for [[Kamo Karzi]] and NSS. His playing position is described as “Extreme Point”.
| Identified as a Saints member; previously associated with Dragons Claw and The Goodies.[32]
| [19]
|-
|-
| Keith Docherty
| [[Kyn Jackson|Kyn Allan Jackson]]
| Identified as a Saints member and paintball equipment supplier. Previously played for Dragons Claw and The Goodies.
| Identified as an Actions Paintball operator and Saints member.[33]
| [20]
|}
|}


Goldsworthy's captaincy is also documented in the October 1995 Auckland tournament report and the April 2004 Huntington Beach interview.[7][11]
The sources document associations at different dates and do not establish a single roster covering every Saints squad or season.
 
=== Photographic identifications ===
 
An undated photograph captioned ''Saints, Auckland'', published by the [[House Steiner]] Facebook profile, contains tags identifying:[13]
 
* Amon Johnson
* Kane Anderson
* Paul Adams
 
A separate undated photograph captioned ''Saints Grey, Auckland (Lynx -Wellington)'' contains tags identifying:[14]
 
* Andrew Walbran
* Vanessa Page
* Wayne “Link” Hilliam


Hilliam was known as “Link”; Lynx Custom was his airsmithing business.
== Selected tournament results ==


The photographs were uploaded on 18 August 2011, but their original dates have not been established. The tags identify people in the photographs and do not establish complete season rosters.[13][14]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 
! Year
== Recorded rankings ==
! Competition
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Season
! Published entry
! Published entry
! Format
! Recorded result
! Position
|-
! Ranking score
| 1995
| New Zealand South Pacific Championships
| Saints
| 1st.[6]
|-
| 1995
| Tactics seven-player tournament
| Saints
| 1st; 910 points.[7]
|-
| 1997
| [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
| Saints Black
| 2nd; 866 points.[1]
|-
|-
| 1997 || Saints Black || Combined || 2nd || 79
| 1997
| [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
| Saints Grey
| 5th; 780 points.[1]
|-
|-
| 1997 || Grey || Combined || 5th || 71
| 1998
| [[1998 Northland Open]]
| Saints
| 1st.[14]
|-
|-
| 1998 || Saints Gold || Combined || 1st || 92.5
| 1998
| [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
| Saints Gold
| 1st; 1,290 points.[2]
|-
|-
| 1998 || Grey || Combined || 2nd || 78
| 1998
| [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
| Saints Grey
| 3rd; 970 points.[2]
|-
|-
| 1998 || Saints Black || Combined || 5th || 64
| 1999
| [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
| Saints Gold
| 2nd; 1,025 points.[3]
|-
|-
| 1999 || Saints Gold || Combined || 1st || 91
| 1999
| [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
| Saints Grey
| 6th; 715 points.[3]
|-
|-
| 1999 || Grey || Combined || 4th || 77
| 2000
| [[Northland Open]]
| Saints
| 1st.[17]
|-
|-
| 2000 || Saints Gold || Combined || 1st || 91
| 2000
| [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
| Saints
| Division One winner; 1,000 preliminary points.[8]
|-
|-
| 2000 || Grey || Combined || Equal 2nd || 82.5
| 2001
| [[2001 Northland Open]]
| Saints
| 1st; 900 points.[19]
|-
|-
| 2000 || Saints Black || Combined || 23rd || 50
| 2001
| [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
| Saints
| Division One winner; 225 final-round points.[9]
|-
|-
| 2001* || Saints Gold || Seven-player || 1st || 400.5
| 2002
| The Gathering
| Saints 2
| 1st; 20 points.[5]
|-
|-
| 2001* || Saints Gold || Five-player || 2nd || 211
| 2002
| The Gathering
| Saints 1
| Equal 2nd; 16 points.[5]
|-
|-
| 2001* || Saints Gold || Three-player || 4th || 152.5
| 2002
| Combat Zone three-player tournament
| Saints
| 1st; 730 points.[20]
|-
| 2002
| [[2002 Northland Open]]
| Saints
| 1st and Division One winner; 666 points.[10]
|-
| 2004
| [[2004 Wellington X-Cess]]
| Saints
| 2nd, Cup.[23]
|-
| 2004
| [[2004 Auckland Queen’s Birthday Superball]]
| Saints
| 2nd, Cup.[24]
|-
| 2005
| New Zealand ranking series
| Saints
| 1st in attributed season table; 93 points.[26]
|-
| 2006
| [[2006 Wellington Easter Tournament]]
| Saints
| Cup winner, as reported by the organiser.[27]
|-
| 2006
| [[Super 5s (New Zealand)|Super 5s]], Division One
| Saints
| 4th; 3,203 championship points.[28]
|}
|}


Sources: Mercenaries Star's Valhalla tables.[1][2][3][4][8]
The table retains organiser-published squad names. Scores from different tournament and ranking systems are not directly comparable.
 
* The 2001 tables are dated October 2001. Their cumulative scores are not directly comparable with the averaged scores used in earlier seasons.[4][9]


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 141: Line 246:
* [[Rik Goldsworthy]]
* [[Rik Goldsworthy]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* [[Northland Open]]
* [[South Pacific Championships]]
* [[South Pacific Championships]]
* [[Valhalla National Rankings]]
* [[Valhalla National Rankings]]
* [[Super 5s (New Zealand)]]
* [[Paintball in New Zealand]]


== References ==
== References ==


# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1998Hall.htm Mercenaries Star — Valhalla Hall of Heros: 1998]. Archived GeoCities page preserved by OoCities.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020613133123/http://www.paintball.co.nz/nats97.htm Rob Maddox, ''The 1997 Two Day NZ National “SplatMan” Tournament'', Paintball.co.nz.]
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1999Hall.htm Mercenaries Star — Valhalla Hall of Heros: 1999]. Archived GeoCities page preserved by OoCities.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020817071008/http://www.paintball.co.nz/nats98.htm Rob Maddox, ''The 1998 Two Day NZ Nationals Tournament'', Paintball.co.nz.]
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2000Hall.htm Mercenaries Star — Valhalla Hall of Heros: 2000]. Archived GeoCities page preserved by OoCities.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020817070413/http://www.paintball.co.nz/nats99/ Rob Maddox, ''The 1999 Two Day NZ Nationals Tournament'', Paintball.co.nz.]
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2001Hall.htm Mercenaries Star — Valhalla Hall of Heros: 2001]. Standings dated October 2001. Archived GeoCities page preserved by OoCities.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2001Hall.htm Mercenaries Star, ''2001 Valhalla National Rankings'', October 2001.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020606121211/http://www.paintball.co.nz/gatheringa2k.htm Dazz Marshall, ''The Gathering'', Paintball.co.nz, 26 January 2002.]
# ''Australian Paintballer'', June–July 1995, “Sydney HEAT Make Friends in High Places”.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', June–July 1995, “Sydney HEAT Make Friends in High Places”.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996, “South Pacific Extravaganza”.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996, report on the Auckland seven-player tournament at Tactics, Bethells Beach.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996, report on the Auckland seven-player tournament at Tactics, Bethells Beach.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1997Hall.htm Mercenaries Star — Valhalla Hall of Heros: 1997]. Archived GeoCities page preserved by OoCities.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020613133336/http://www.paintball.co.nz/nats00.htm Rob Maddox, ''The 2000 Two Day NZ Nationals Tournament'', Paintball.co.nz.]
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/RankIndex.htm Mercenaries Star — Valhalla National Team Rankings: methodology]. Archived GeoCities page preserved by OoCities.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020806192513/http://www.paintball.co.nz/nats01.htm Rob Maddox, ''The 2001 Two Day NZ Nationals Tournament'', Paintball.co.nz.]
# WARPIG, ''NPPL Huntington Beach 2004'', contemporary tournament coverage.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020806192035/http://www.paintball.co.nz/north2002.htm Rob Maddox, ''The 2002 Northland Paintball Open'', Paintball.co.nz.]
# Rob Maddox, “Interview: Rik Goldsworthy”, Paintball.co.nz, April 2004.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19990422184406/http://www.xsystems.com.au/wpaint/wpaint1/south.htm Gavin Costello, ''South Pacific's'', ''War Paint'', issue 1, January 1996.]
# [https://www.flickr.com/photos/whatever/albums/86811/ Martin Dannefaerd — Huntington Beach 2004]. Flickr photographic collection.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19981206035630/http://www.xsystems.com.au/wpaint/wpaint4/masters.html Kez Svanberg, ''Australian Masters'', ''War Paint'', issue 4, November 1996.]
# [https://www.facebook.com/house.steiner.3 House Steiner — “Saints, Auckland” photograph]. Facebook, uploaded 18 August 2011; original photograph undated. Caption and identification tags preserved in the supplied screenshot.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1997Hall.htm Mercenaries Star, ''1997 Valhalla National Rankings''.]
# [https://www.facebook.com/house.steiner.3 House Steiner — “Saints Grey, Auckland (Lynx -Wellington)” photograph]. Facebook, uploaded 18 August 2011; original photograph undated. Caption and identification tags preserved in the supplied screenshot.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020817070759/http://www.paintball.co.nz/north98.htm Rob Maddox, ''The 1998 Northland Paintball Open'', NZ Paintball Online.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19980204164230/http://www.webel.co.nz/whrik.htm New Zealand Paintball — Who's Who: Rik Goldworthy]. Contemporary profile identifying him as Team Saints captain and recording his mention of the 1991 Australasian South Pacific ten-player Open; February 1998 archive.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1998Hall.htm Mercenaries Star, ''1998 Valhalla National Rankings''.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19980204164230/http://www.webel.co.nz/whamon.htm New Zealand Paintball — Who's Who: Amon Johnson]. Contemporary profile identifying him as a Team Saints member; February 1998 archive.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1999Hall.htm Mercenaries Star, ''1999 Valhalla National Rankings''.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19980204164230/http://www.webel.co.nz/whcaton.htm New Zealand Paintball — Who's Who: David Caton]. Contemporary profile identifying him as a Saints member and Commando One field manager; February 1998 archive.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20010114131600/http://www.paintball.co.nz/north2000.htm Rob Maddox, ''The 2000 Northland Paintball Open'', Paintball.co.nz.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19980204164230/http://www.webel.co.nz/whian.htm New Zealand Paintball — Who's Who: Ian MacDonald]. Contemporary profile identifying him as a Saints member; February 1998 archive.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2000Hall.htm Mercenaries Star, ''2000 Valhalla National Rankings''.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19980204164230/http://www.webel.co.nz/whjo.htm New Zealand Paintball — Who's Who: Jo Pitts]. Contemporary profile recording team membership, playing position and the Saints' November 1997 Australian trip; February 1998 archive.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20011217012758/http://www.paintball.co.nz/north2001.htm Rob Maddox, ''The 2001 Northland Paintball Open'', Paintball.co.nz.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19980204164230/http://www.webel.co.nz/whkeith.htm New Zealand Paintball — Who's Who: Keith Docherty]. Contemporary profile identifying him as a Saints member, equipment supplier and former Dragons Claw and The Goodies player; February 1998 archive.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020606114058/http://www.paintball.co.nz/cbtz.htm Dazz Marshall, ''Combat Zone 3-Man'', Paintball.co.nz, 27 January 2002.]
# [https://www.warpig.com/paintball/tournament/nppl/2004/hb/index.shtml WARPIG, ''NPPL Huntington Beach 2004'', 19–21 March 2004.]
# Rob Maddox, ''Interview: Rik Goldsworthy'', Paintball.co.nz, April 2004.
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20051218181156/http://www.paintball.co.nz/articles/2004/wgtn2004a.htm Rob Maddox, ''The Wellington X-Cess Event 2004'', NZ Paintball Online, April 2004.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20041012125821/http://www.paintball.co.nz/articles/2004/qbw2004.htm Rob Maddox, ''Queen's Birthday Superball 2004'', Paintball.co.nz, June 2004.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20051218174533/http://www.paintball.co.nz/articles/2004/roto2004.htm Rob Maddox, ''Rotorua 2004'', Paintball.co.nz, October 2004.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20061014073853/http://www.paintball.org.nz/community/showthread.php?t=532 Dannefaerd, ''rankings'', New Zealand paintball forum, 1 May 2006. Attributed account of the 2005 series.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20130218103542/http://paintball.net.nz/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=323 ANTSMAN68, ''Prizegiving/afterfunction'', NZ P8NT, 19 April 2006.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20071011071333/http://p069.ezboard.com/December-super-5s-scores/fnzpaintballfrm6.showMessage?topicID=360.topic ''December Super 5s scores'', NZ Paintball Message Forum, results posted 4 December 2006.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19980204164230/http://www.webel.co.nz/whamon.htm ''Who's Who: Amon Johnson'', New Zealand Paintball.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19980204164230/http://www.webel.co.nz/whcaton.htm ''Who's Who: David Caton'', New Zealand Paintball.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19980204164230/http://www.webel.co.nz/whian.htm ''Who's Who: Ian MacDonald'', New Zealand Paintball.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/19980204164230/http://www.webel.co.nz/whkeith.htm ''Who's Who: Keith Docherty'', New Zealand Paintball.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20020421081654/http://www.paintball.co.nz/whkyn.htm ''Who's Who: Kyn Allan Jackson'', New Zealand Paintball.]


== External links ==
== External links ==


* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/whatever/albums/86811/ Saints at Huntington Beach 2004 — photographs]
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/whatever/albums/86811/ Martin Dannefaerd's Saints at Huntington Beach 2004 photographs]


[[Category:New Zealand paintball teams]]
[[Category:New Zealand paintball teams]]
[[Category:Paintball teams]]
[[Category:New Zealand paintball history]]
[[Category:Paintball in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Paintball in Auckland]]
[[Category:Historical paintball teams]]

Latest revision as of 10:10, 26 October 2026

Saints was a New Zealand tournament paintball organisation based in Auckland. It competed under the names Saints, Team Saints, Saints Gold, Saints Black and Saints Grey, and also fielded numbered three-player entries as Saints 1 and Saints 2.[1][2][3][4][5]

Saints won the New Zealand South Pacific Championships in 1995, multiple national tournaments during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and the 2005 New Zealand ranking series as reported by a participating organiser.[6][7][8][9][10]

Team identity

[edit]

Saints Gold, Saints Black and Saints Grey were squads of the same Saints organisation rather than unrelated teams. The numbered Saints 1 and Saints 2 entries at the 2002 Gathering were also separate squads from the organisation.[5]

The Valhalla rankings sometimes shortened Saints Grey to Grey. Those entries are treated as Saints Grey where they occur alongside the other Saints squads in the relevant New Zealand records. Published event names are retained in result tables rather than being silently standardised to Saints Gold.

The available sources do not establish a precise founding date.

History

[edit]

1995–1996

[edit]

Saints won the 1995 New Zealand South Pacific Championships, held in Wellington during Easter.[6]

Later in 1995, Saints competed in the Australian South Pacific Paintball Championships near Windsor, New South Wales. Seven ten-player teams contested the event, but Saints did not advance to the finals.[11]

On 21–22 October 1995, Saints won a seven-player tournament at Tactics, Bethells Beach, Auckland. The team won nine of its ten games and scored 910 points. The contemporary report identified Rik Goldsworthy, printed as Rick, as captain.[7]

Saints competed in the professional division of the 1996 Australian Masters at Skirmish Adventures in Helensburgh, New South Wales. The recovered report does not establish its final placing.[12]

1997 season

[edit]

At the 1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals, Saints Black finished second with 866 points and Saints Grey finished fifth with 780 points. Jo Pitts was identified as Saints Black captain. The report noted that other Saints players were competing in Orlando.[1]

The Valhalla rankings placed Saints Black second with 79 ranking points. The associated Grey entry, identified here as Saints Grey, recorded 71 points.[13]

1998 season

[edit]

Saints won the 1998 Northland Open, finishing ahead of Paint Contractors.[14]

At the 1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals, Saints Gold won with 1,290 points from a possible 1,300. Saints Grey finished third with 970 points. Rik Goldsworthy was identified as Saints Gold captain.[2]

Saints Gold led the 1998 Valhalla rankings with 92.5 points. Saints Grey, printed as Grey, recorded 78 points, while Saints Black recorded 64.[15]

1999 season

[edit]

At the 1999 New Zealand Paintball Nationals, Saints Gold finished second with 1,025 points, behind Paint Contractors. Saints Grey finished sixth with 715 points.[3]

Saints Gold received the Team of the Year award presented at the tournament. Marty Friend received the Player of the Year award for sportsmanship and attitude.[3]

Saints Gold led the 1999 Valhalla rankings with 91 points. Saints Grey, printed as Grey, recorded 77 points.[16]

2000 season

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Saints won the 2000 Northland Open at Jubilee Park in Whangārei.[17]

At the 2000 New Zealand Paintball Nationals, the entry printed as Saints won Division One after recording 1,000 preliminary points. The report does not publish the team's final-round points.[8]

Saints Gold led the 2000 Valhalla rankings with 91 points. Saints Grey, printed as Grey, recorded 82.5 points, and Saints Black recorded 50.[18]

2001 season

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Saints won the 2001 Northland Open at Jubilee Park on 25 February with 900 points.[19]

At the 2001 New Zealand Paintball Nationals, Saints won Division One with 225 final-round points, ahead of Katipo, Jetts and Flashpoint. The report described the team as led by Rik Goldsworthy.[9]

The October 2001 Valhalla standings placed Saints Gold first in seven-player competition with 400.5 cumulative ranking points. Saints Gold also placed second in the five-player rankings with 211 points and fourth in the three-player rankings with 152.5 points.[4]

2002 competition

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At the Gathering at Actions Paintball on 26 January 2002, Saints fielded two three-player squads. Saints 2 won with 20 points, while Saints 1 shared second place with GPS and GBR on 16 points.[5]

The following day, Saints won the Combat Zone three-player tournament in Ardmore with 730 points.[20]

Saints also won the 2002 Northland Open, scoring 666 points and taking the Division One title. Rik Goldsworthy was identified as captain.[10]

2004 season

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Saints competed at the opening round of the 2004 National Professional Paintball League Super 7 Series at Huntington Beach, California, on 19–21 March. Captain Rik Goldsworthy subsequently reported that Saints won three of its eight games.[21][22]

At the 2004 Wellington X-Cess during Easter, Saints reached the Cup final and finished second after losing two consecutive games to the visiting American Evil Factory team.[23]

Saints was runner-up at the Auckland Queen's Birthday Superball at Kumeu. Its best-of-three final against Evil Factory NZ was tied after the first two games and the deciding game ended in a draw. Evil Factory NZ received first place on individual-game countback.[24]

Saints also competed at the Rotorua International Stadium tournament during Labour Weekend. The recovered report records a pool-stage loss to Evil Factory NZ but does not include Saints among the four Cup finalists or establish its final overall placing.[25]

2005 ranking series

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A retrospective account by a participating organiser identified two completed New Zealand ranking events in 2005. Saints won the Easter event with 50 ranking points and placed third at Kumeu with 43 points.[26]

The account placed Saints first for the season with 93 points, ahead of Hybrid on 46 and Menace on 43. It was posted during a later forum dispute rather than as an independently authenticated official standings sheet, so the result is attributed to its author.[26]

2006 season

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An organiser's post dated 19 April 2006 identified Saints as the Cup winner at the 2006 Wellington Easter Tournament. The recovered discussion does not provide a complete result table.[27]

Saints competed in Division One of the 2006 Super 5s. The final standings placed it fourth with 3,203 championship points, behind Menace, XXX and Phantom.[28]

Players and leadership

[edit]
Person Documented association
Rik Goldsworthy Saints captain in dated records from 1995, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2004.[2][7][9][10][22]
Jo Pitts Saints Black captain at the 1997 Nationals.[1]
Amon Johnson Identified as a Saints member in a contemporary player profile.[29]
David Caton Identified as a longstanding Saints member in a contemporary profile.[30]
Ian MacDonald Identified as a longstanding Saints member in a contemporary profile.[31]
Keith Docherty Identified as a Saints member; previously associated with Dragons Claw and The Goodies.[32]
Kyn Allan Jackson Identified as an Actions Paintball operator and Saints member.[33]

The sources document associations at different dates and do not establish a single roster covering every Saints squad or season.

Selected tournament results

[edit]
Year Competition Published entry Recorded result
1995 New Zealand South Pacific Championships Saints 1st.[6]
1995 Tactics seven-player tournament Saints 1st; 910 points.[7]
1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Saints Black 2nd; 866 points.[1]
1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Saints Grey 5th; 780 points.[1]
1998 1998 Northland Open Saints 1st.[14]
1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Saints Gold 1st; 1,290 points.[2]
1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Saints Grey 3rd; 970 points.[2]
1999 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Saints Gold 2nd; 1,025 points.[3]
1999 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Saints Grey 6th; 715 points.[3]
2000 Northland Open Saints 1st.[17]
2000 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Saints Division One winner; 1,000 preliminary points.[8]
2001 2001 Northland Open Saints 1st; 900 points.[19]
2001 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Saints Division One winner; 225 final-round points.[9]
2002 The Gathering Saints 2 1st; 20 points.[5]
2002 The Gathering Saints 1 Equal 2nd; 16 points.[5]
2002 Combat Zone three-player tournament Saints 1st; 730 points.[20]
2002 2002 Northland Open Saints 1st and Division One winner; 666 points.[10]
2004 2004 Wellington X-Cess Saints 2nd, Cup.[23]
2004 2004 Auckland Queen’s Birthday Superball Saints 2nd, Cup.[24]
2005 New Zealand ranking series Saints 1st in attributed season table; 93 points.[26]
2006 2006 Wellington Easter Tournament Saints Cup winner, as reported by the organiser.[27]
2006 Super 5s, Division One Saints 4th; 3,203 championship points.[28]

The table retains organiser-published squad names. Scores from different tournament and ranking systems are not directly comparable.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. Rob Maddox, The 1997 Two Day NZ National “SplatMan” Tournament, Paintball.co.nz.
  2. Rob Maddox, The 1998 Two Day NZ Nationals Tournament, Paintball.co.nz.
  3. Rob Maddox, The 1999 Two Day NZ Nationals Tournament, Paintball.co.nz.
  4. Mercenaries Star, 2001 Valhalla National Rankings, October 2001.
  5. Dazz Marshall, The Gathering, Paintball.co.nz, 26 January 2002.
  6. Australian Paintballer, June–July 1995, “Sydney HEAT Make Friends in High Places”.
  7. Australian Paintballer, December 1995–February 1996, report on the Auckland seven-player tournament at Tactics, Bethells Beach.
  8. Rob Maddox, The 2000 Two Day NZ Nationals Tournament, Paintball.co.nz.
  9. Rob Maddox, The 2001 Two Day NZ Nationals Tournament, Paintball.co.nz.
  10. Rob Maddox, The 2002 Northland Paintball Open, Paintball.co.nz.
  11. Gavin Costello, South Pacific's, War Paint, issue 1, January 1996.
  12. Kez Svanberg, Australian Masters, War Paint, issue 4, November 1996.
  13. Mercenaries Star, 1997 Valhalla National Rankings.
  14. Rob Maddox, The 1998 Northland Paintball Open, NZ Paintball Online.
  15. Mercenaries Star, 1998 Valhalla National Rankings.
  16. Mercenaries Star, 1999 Valhalla National Rankings.
  17. Rob Maddox, The 2000 Northland Paintball Open, Paintball.co.nz.
  18. Mercenaries Star, 2000 Valhalla National Rankings.
  19. Rob Maddox, The 2001 Northland Paintball Open, Paintball.co.nz.
  20. Dazz Marshall, Combat Zone 3-Man, Paintball.co.nz, 27 January 2002.
  21. WARPIG, NPPL Huntington Beach 2004, 19–21 March 2004.
  22. Rob Maddox, Interview: Rik Goldsworthy, Paintball.co.nz, April 2004.
  23. Rob Maddox, The Wellington X-Cess Event 2004, NZ Paintball Online, April 2004.
  24. Rob Maddox, Queen's Birthday Superball 2004, Paintball.co.nz, June 2004.
  25. Rob Maddox, Rotorua 2004, Paintball.co.nz, October 2004.
  26. Dannefaerd, rankings, New Zealand paintball forum, 1 May 2006. Attributed account of the 2005 series.
  27. ANTSMAN68, Prizegiving/afterfunction, NZ P8NT, 19 April 2006.
  28. December Super 5s scores, NZ Paintball Message Forum, results posted 4 December 2006.
  29. Who's Who: Amon Johnson, New Zealand Paintball.
  30. Who's Who: David Caton, New Zealand Paintball.
  31. Who's Who: Ian MacDonald, New Zealand Paintball.
  32. Who's Who: Keith Docherty, New Zealand Paintball.
  33. Who's Who: Kyn Allan Jackson, New Zealand Paintball.
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