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Expanded and reorganised the Saints article using contemporary tournament reports. Added the team’s 1995 New Zealand South Pacific Championship victory, Australian appearance, Auckland seven-player title and documented early captaincy; consolidated later rankings, squad history and international results.
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{{Short description|New Zealand tournament paintball team}}


'''Saints''' (also known as '''Team Saints''') was a leading New Zealand competitive [[paintball]] team active during the 1990s and early 2000s. The team was among the country's most successful tournament organisations during the late 1990s, entering multiple squads including '''Saints Gold''', '''Saints Black''' and an associated veteran squad known as '''Grey'''.
'''Saints''', also known as '''Team Saints''', was a New Zealand tournament [[paintball]] organisation active from at least 1995 into the 2000s. The team won the 1995 [[South Pacific Championships]] in Wellington and the 1995 Auckland seven-player tournament.[1][2]


Saints Gold led the independent [[Valhalla National Rankings]] in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and headed the published seven-man standings for 2001.[1][2][3][4] Saints Black placed second in the 1997 rankings, while Grey remained a highly competitive entry throughout the same period.[5]
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the organisation entered squads including '''Saints Gold''' and '''Saints Black'''. A veteran squad recorded as '''Grey''' or '''Saints Grey''' was also associated with the team. Saints Gold led the independent [[Valhalla National Rankings]] in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and headed the published seven-player rankings for 2001.[5][6][7][8]


The team also received coverage in Australian paintball publications. The April–June 1997 issue of ''Paintballer'' featured Saints on its cover under the headline '''Warriors Still!''', with the subtitle '''The Saints Determined to Regain Feared Status!'''.[6]
Saints also competed internationally, travelling to Australia in 1995 and to the United States for the 2004 [[National Professional Paintball League]] tournament at Huntington Beach.[3][10]
 
Saints competed during the development of the original [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)|National Paintball League]] and the transition from five-man to seven-man tournament paintball in New Zealand.


== History ==
== History ==


=== Early development ===
=== 1995 season ===
 
Saints was established before 1997 and had already developed a competitive reputation by the time the original National Paintball League began.
 
The team's exact founding date, original roster and initial home playing field have not been established.
 
Its prominence before 1997 is suggested by the April–June 1997 ''Paintballer'' magazine cover, which described the team as attempting to regain its feared status.[6]
 
The wording indicates that Saints had an established reputation before the magazine feature appeared, although the cover alone does not establish which earlier tournaments the team had won or the circumstances of its competitive development.
 
During the 1990s, New Zealand tournament paintball was largely organised through commercial playing fields, independent competitions and local teams.
 
Major events included the New Zealand Paintball Nationals, Queen's Birthday tournaments and Northland Open.
 
Saints became one of the leading teams participating in this competitive environment.
 
=== Australian magazine coverage, 1997 ===
 
The April–June 1997 edition of the Australian paintball magazine ''Paintballer'', issue 16, featured Saints on its cover.
 
The cover carried the prominent headline:
 
'''Warriors Still!'''
 
The accompanying subtitle identified the subject as Saints and described their determination to regain their reputation.
 
The magazine was an Australasian paintball publication featuring tournament results, playing advice, equipment information and competition news.
 
The issue's cover also advertised reports on the Australian Open Championships and ACT APPL competition.
 
The identification of the team as the New Zealand Saints is supported by historical recollection accompanying a surviving photograph of the original magazine cover.[6]
 
The complete Saints feature has not yet been recovered.
 
Consequently, the cover provides evidence of contemporary Australasian media coverage and the team's established reputation, but not a complete roster or verified list of results.
 
== Team structure ==
 
=== Saints Gold ===
 
'''Saints Gold''' was the principal competitive squad of the Saints organisation during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
 
Valhalla's ranking methodology explicitly identified Gold as the premier Saints squad when explaining how multi-squad organisations were treated.[7]
 
Saints Gold consistently appeared near the top of national tournament rankings.
 
It led Valhalla in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and headed the published 2001 seven-man standings.
 
=== Saints Black ===
 
'''Saints Black''' was another competitive squad entered by the Saints organisation.
 
Black finished second in the 1997 Valhalla rankings with 79 points, behind Katipo.
 
In 1998, Saints Black placed fifth nationally with 64 points.
 
The squad also appeared in the 2000 rankings, recording 50 points.
 
The team was therefore capable of entering more than one competitive squad while retaining separate results for each.
 
=== Grey ===
 
'''Grey''' was a veteran squad associated with Saints, comprising older players who were not selected for the main competitive team.
 
Historical recollection identifies Grey as an outlet for experienced older players within the Saints organisation.
 
The original Valhalla rankings usually listed the squad simply as '''Grey''', rather than Saints Grey.
 
Its results were recorded separately from Saints Gold and Saints Black.
 
Grey was nevertheless one of the strongest teams in the national rankings.
 
It finished fifth in 1997, second in 1998, fourth in 1999 and tied for second in 2000.
 
The squad's results demonstrate that Saints' wider player organisation retained considerable competitive strength beyond its principal team.
 
=== Squad independence ===
 
The Valhalla ranking methodology treated named subteams as independent entries.
 
For example, Saints Gold and Saints Black did not have their tournament points combined.


The methodology explained that organisations with multiple squads usually had a premier team and additional entries for other players.[7]
==== New Zealand South Pacific Championship ====


A published example specifically used Saints Gold, Black and Green to explain how results would be allocated when team names changed between events.
Saints won the 1995 New Zealand [[South Pacific Championships]], held in Wellington over the Easter weekend. The Australian team Sydney HEAT finished second.[1]


Saints Green appeared in this methodological example, but the example alone does not establish that a competitive Saints Green squad actually participated in a documented tournament.
The result demonstrates that Saints had already become one of New Zealand's leading tournament teams by early 1995. It also gave Sydney HEAT its first tournament appearance outside Australia.[1]


== Tournament results ==
==== Australian South Pacific Championships ====


=== 1997 season ===
Later in 1995, Saints travelled to New South Wales to contest the Australian South Pacific Paintball Championships at Adventure Quest Games near Windsor. Seven ten-player teams competed: Saints, [[Top Hat Jokers]], [[Sydney SWAT]], Black Reign, Black Reign/No Fear, Hardline and United Newcastle.[3]


The 1997 season coincided with the establishment of the original National Paintball League.
Saints played strongly but did not advance to the four-team finals. Top Hat Jokers won the tournament, followed by Black Reign, SWAT and Black Reign/No Fear.[3]


Saints Black finished second in the retrospective Valhalla standings, recording 79 points.
In ''Australian Paintballer'''s retrospective rankings for the 1995 Australian season, Saints received 56.25 professional ranking points from its single tournament appearance.[4]


Grey placed fifth with 71 points.[5]
The Australian competition was separate from the New Zealand South Pacific Championships won by Saints earlier in the year.


{| class="wikitable"
==== Auckland tournament ====
|+ Saints-associated squads in the 1997 Valhalla rankings
! Squad
! National ranking
! Score
|-
| Saints Black
| 2nd
| 79
|-
| Grey
| 5th
| 71
|}
 
Katipo headed the overall rankings with 91 points.


==== New Zealand Nationals ====
Saints won a seven-player tournament held at Tactics, Bethells Beach, Auckland, on 21–22 October 1995. Six teams competed in a double round-robin format, playing each opponent once from each end of the field.[2]


The 1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals took place on 25–26 October at Actions Paintball Sports Arena in Te Atatū, Auckland.
Saints won nine of its ten games, recording five maximum scores and three scores of 98 points. The team finished with 910 points, ahead of X-Men on 683 and Katapo on 628.[2]
 
Eleven teams competed.
 
Saints Black finished second in the tournament, behind Katipo.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Position
! Position
! Team
! Team
! Tournament points
! Points
|-
|-
| 1
| 1
| Katipo
| Saints
| 1,008
| 910
|-
|-
| 2
| 2
| Saints Black
| X-Men
| 866
| 683
|-
|-
| 3
| 3
| Kamo Karzi
| Katapo
| 818
| 628
|}
 
These figures are tournament scores, not Valhalla ranking points.
 
=== 1998 season ===
 
Saints Gold became the leading team in the 1998 Valhalla rankings.
 
The squad recorded 92.5 points.
 
Grey finished second with 78 points, while Saints Black placed fifth with 64.
 
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Saints-associated squads in the 1998 Valhalla rankings
! Squad
! National ranking
! Score
|-
|-
| Saints Gold
| 4
| 1st
| Whangarei Paint Contractors
| 92.5
| 324
|-
| Grey
| 2nd
| 78
|-
| Saints Black
| 5th
| 64
|}
 
This represented an especially strong national showing for the wider Saints organisation, with three associated squads among the top five entries.[1]
 
==== New Zealand Nationals ====
 
The 1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals was held on 24–25 October.
 
The event attracted fourteen teams.
 
Saints Gold won the tournament, scoring 1,290 points.
 
Paint Contractors finished second with 1,008 points.
 
The team listed in the surviving tournament results as Saints Grey finished third with 970 points.
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Position
! Team
! Tournament points
|-
| 1
| Saints Gold
| 1,290
|-
|-
| 2
| 5
| Paint Contractors
| Dragons Claw Hell Patrol
| 1,008
| 293
|-
|-
| 3
| 6
| Saints Grey
| Dragons Claw Sentinels
| 970
| −35
|}
|}


The appearance of Saints Grey in the tournament results is consistent with the historical identification of Grey as a Saints-associated squad.
A contemporary report identified Rick as the Saints captain at the tournament.[2]


The Valhalla database nevertheless recorded Grey under its shorter independent entry name.
=== Later 1990s ===


=== 1999 season ===
The April–June 1997 issue of the Australasian magazine ''Paintballer'' featured Saints on its cover under the headline "Warriors Still!", describing the team as seeking to regain its feared status.[11]


Saints Gold retained first place in the 1999 Valhalla rankings.
The team subsequently appeared in the independent Valhalla rankings through several separately recorded squads.


The team recorded a score of 91.
Saints Black finished second in the 1997 rankings with 79 points, behind Katipo. At the 1997 [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]], Saints Black also placed second behind Katipo, scoring 866 tournament points.[9]


Grey finished fourth with 77 points.[2]
Saints Gold led the 1998 Valhalla rankings with 92.5 points. Grey placed second and Saints Black fifth, giving the wider Saints organisation three entries among the leading five teams.[5]
 
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Saints-associated squads in the 1999 Valhalla rankings
! Squad
! National ranking
! Score
|-
| Saints Gold
| 1st
| 91
|-
| Grey
| 4th
| 77
|}


Other leading teams during the season included Paint Contractors, Psychosis, Black Dragon, Flashpoint and Katipo.
At the 1998 New Zealand Nationals, Saints Gold won the tournament with 1,290 points. Paint Contractors finished second with 1,008, while the team recorded in the tournament results as Saints Grey placed third with 970.[5]


Saints Gold's result represented its second consecutive year as the Valhalla ranking leader.
Saints Gold remained first in the 1999 Valhalla rankings with 91 points. Grey placed fourth with 77.[6]


=== 2000 season ===
=== 2000 season ===


Saints Gold again finished at the top of Valhalla in 2000.
Saints Gold led the Valhalla rankings for a third consecutive season in 2000, recording 91 points. The ranking compiler noted that the squad had averaged approximately 96 per cent of the available points during the preliminary stages of its tournaments.[7]
 
The team recorded 91 points.
 
The compiler noted that Saints had averaged approximately 96% of available points during the opening rounds of its tournaments.[3]
 
The observation highlighted the team's consistent performance in preliminary competition.
 
Grey also had a successful season, finishing tied for second with Team Crisis on 82.5 points.
 
Saints Black finished twenty-third with 50 points.
 
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Saints-associated squads in the 2000 Valhalla rankings
! Squad
! National ranking
! Score
|-
| Saints Gold
| 1st
| 91
|-
| Grey
| Equal 2nd
| 82.5
|-
| Saints Black
| 23rd
| 50
|}
 
The 2000 season was the first year in which Valhalla was operating as an active ranking database.


Its earlier standings had been reconstructed retrospectively.
Grey finished equal second with Team Crisis on 82.5 points. Saints Black was also recorded in the standings, placing twenty-third with 50 points.[7]
 
Saints Gold's first-place result represented a third consecutive year at the top of the published rankings.


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


In 2001, Valhalla introduced separate rankings for seven-man, five-man and three-man competitions.
Valhalla published separate seven-, five- and three-player rankings in 2001. Saints Gold appeared in all three formats.[8]
 
Saints Gold appeared prominently in all three categories.
 
The available standings were labelled October 2001.


==== Seven-man ====
In the seven-player rankings, Saints Gold placed first among 23 entries with 400.5 cumulative points. Its results incorporated the Northland Open, RotoVegas and New Zealand Nationals.[8]
 
Saints Gold led the seven-man rankings with 400.5 cumulative points.[4]
 
The table incorporated results from the Northland Open, RotoVegas and New Zealand Nationals.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Saints Gold – 2001 seven-man results
|+ Saints Gold – 2001 seven-player ranking contributions
! Competition stage
! Competition stage
! Points
! Points
Line 320: Line 115:
|}
|}


The published seven-man ranking leaders were Saints Gold, Jetts and Katipo.
Saints Gold placed second in the five-player rankings with 211 points, behind [[Tag n' Release]] on 214.5. These standings incorporated the South Pacific Championships and Wellington Cup.[8]
 
The squad also placed fourth in the three-player rankings with 152.5 points. The three-player category incorporated the Hawkes Bay Triples, Indoor Three-Man Open and Combat Zone competitions.[8]
 
=== 2004 NPPL Huntington Beach ===
 
Saints travelled to California to compete in the NPPL Super 7 Series tournament at Huntington Beach on 19–21 March 2004. The event attracted approximately 160 teams from twelve countries.[12]
 
Saints player and captain Rik Goldsworthy subsequently discussed the tournament in an interview conducted by Rob Maddox for ''Paintball.co.nz''. Goldsworthy reported that Saints won three of its eight games.[13]
 
The interview documents the team's continued activity beyond the years covered by the surviving Valhalla rankings. Goldsworthy also expressed an intention for the team to return to Huntington Beach the following year, although the available source does not confirm that a further appearance took place.[13]


Saints Gold's cumulative result placed it first among 23 entries.
== Team structure ==


==== Five-man ====
=== Saints Gold ===


Saints Gold also appeared in the 2001 five-man rankings.
'''Saints Gold''' was the organisation's principal competitive squad during the late 1990s and early 2000s. It led the Valhalla rankings for three consecutive seasons from 1998 to 2000 and led the published seven-player standings in 2001.[5][6][7][8]


The squad finished second with 211 points, behind Rotorua-based Tag n' Release on 214.5.
=== Saints Black ===


The five-man rankings included the South Pacific Championships and Wellington Cup Five-Mans.
'''Saints Black''' competed as a separately ranked squad. It finished second in the 1997 Valhalla rankings and at the 1997 New Zealand Nationals. The squad placed fifth in the 1998 rankings and also appeared in the 2000 standings.[5][7][9]


{| class="wikitable"
=== Grey ===
! Position
 
! Team
'''Grey''' was recorded separately in most Valhalla ranking tables. The 1998 New Zealand Nationals results identified the entry as '''Saints Grey''', supporting its association with the wider Saints organisation.[5]
! Total points
|-
| 1
| Tag n' Release
| 214.5
|-
| 2
| Saints Gold
| 211
|-
| 3
| House Steiner
| 93.4
|}


==== Three-man ====
Grey placed fifth in the 1997 rankings, second in 1998, fourth in 1999 and equal second in 2000.[5][6][7][9]


Saints Gold finished fourth in the 2001 three-man rankings, recording 152.5 cumulative points.
Valhalla treated separately named squads as independent ranking entries rather than combining their results under a single organisation.[14]


The leading entries were:
== Selected tournament results ==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Position
! Year
! Team
! Tournament
! Total points
! Squad
! Result
|-
| 1995
| [[South Pacific Championships]]
| Saints
| First
|-
|-
| 1
| 1995
| DamNatives Red
| Australian South Pacific Paintball Championships
| 226.4
| Saints
| Did not reach finals
|-
|-
| 2
| 1995
| Insane
| Auckland seven-player tournament
| 181.7
| Saints
| First
|-
|-
| 3
| 1997
| Tag n' Release GPS
| [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
| 159.3
| Saints Black
| Second
|-
|-
| 4
| 1998
| New Zealand Paintball Nationals
| Saints Gold
| Saints Gold
| 152.5
| First
|-
| 1998
| New Zealand Paintball Nationals
| Saints Grey
| Third
|-
| 2004
| NPPL Huntington Beach
| Saints
| Three wins from eight games
|}
|}


The three-man category included the Hawkes Bay Triples, Indoor Three-Man Open and Combat Zone competitions.
== National ranking record ==
 
The 2001 results demonstrate the team's participation across several competition formats.
 
 
=== 2004 NPPL Huntington Beach ===
 
In March 2004, Saints travelled to California, United States, to compete in the '''National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) Super 7 Series''' tournament at Huntington Beach.
 
The competition took place on '''19–21 March 2004''' and attracted approximately 160 teams from twelve countries.[9]
 
The event was held beside Huntington Beach Pier, with artificial turf installed over the beach sand to create tournament playing surfaces.
 
The competition included professional and amateur divisions and attracted many of the leading international paintball teams of the period.
 
==== Rik Goldsworthy interview ====
 
In April 2004, [[Paintball.co.nz]] published an interview with Saints player '''Rik Goldsworthy''', conducted by [[Rob Maddox]].
 
Goldsworthy discussed the team's experience competing at Huntington Beach, providing a contemporary account of one of Saints' overseas tournament appearances.[10]
 
According to Goldsworthy, Saints won '''three of their eight games''' at the tournament.
 
He described the event enthusiastically:
 
"It was the best tournament I've ever been to, by far."
 
Goldsworthy particularly highlighted the unusual location, describing the experience of playing on the beach with artificial turf laid over the sand.
 
The scale, facilities and atmosphere of the tournament represented a considerable contrast with the New Zealand domestic competitive scene.
 
The interview also indicated that Saints intended to return to Huntington Beach the following year.
 
Goldsworthy stated that the team would go back in twelve months, although the interview does not establish whether that subsequent trip took place.
 
==== Historical significance ====
 
Saints' appearance at Huntington Beach demonstrates that the team remained active in international competition beyond the period covered by the surviving 1997–2001 [[Valhalla National Rankings]].
 
The tournament brought the New Zealand players into direct competition with teams participating in one of the world's leading seven-man paintball series.
 
The 2004 interview provides evidence of Saints' international ambitions and documents the experiences of New Zealand players competing in the United States during the early development of the NPPL Super 7 format.
 
== Summary of national rankings ==


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Saints-associated squads in Valhalla, 1997–2001
! Year
! Year
! Squad
! Squad
! Format
! Position
! Position
! Score
! Score
Line 432: Line 200:
| 1997
| 1997
| Saints Black
| Saints Black
| 2nd
| Combined
| Second
| 79
| 79
|-
|-
| 1997
| 1997
| Grey
| Grey
| 5th
| Combined
| Fifth
| 71
| 71
|-
|-
| 1998
| 1998
| Saints Gold
| Saints Gold
| 1st
| Combined
| First
| 92.5
| 92.5
|-
|-
| 1998
| 1998
| Grey
| Grey
| 2nd
| Combined
| Second
| 78
| 78
|-
|-
| 1998
| 1998
| Saints Black
| Saints Black
| 5th
| Combined
| Fifth
| 64
| 64
|-
|-
| 1999
| 1999
| Saints Gold
| Saints Gold
| 1st
| Combined
| First
| 91
| 91
|-
|-
| 1999
| 1999
| Grey
| Grey
| 4th
| Combined
| Fourth
| 77
| 77
|-
|-
| 2000
| 2000
| Saints Gold
| Saints Gold
| 1st
| Combined
| First
| 91
| 91
|-
|-
| 2000
| 2000
| Grey
| Grey
| Equal 2nd
| Combined
| Equal second
| 82.5
| 82.5
|-
|-
| 2000
| 2000
| Saints Black
| Saints Black
| 23rd
| Combined
| Twenty-third
| 50
| 50
|-
|-
| 2001
| 2001
| Saints Gold – seven-man
| Saints Gold
| 1st
| Seven-player
| First
| 400.5
| 400.5
|-
|-
| 2001
| 2001
| Saints Gold – five-man
| Saints Gold
| 2nd
| Five-player
| Second
| 211
| 211
|-
|-
| 2001
| 2001
| Saints Gold – three-man
| Saints Gold
| 4th
| Three-player
| Fourth
| 152.5
| 152.5
|}
|}


The 2001 scores are cumulative tournament-round totals and cannot be compared directly with the ranking scores used in earlier seasons.
The 2001 figures are cumulative tournament-round totals and are not directly comparable with the ranking scores used in previous seasons.[8]
 
The table represents the published Valhalla rankings, rather than a complete record of every Saints tournament result.
 
== Tournament formats ==
 
=== Five-man competition ===
 
During the 1990s, five-player tournament paintball was a common competitive format in New Zealand.
 
Games typically involved teams attempting to eliminate opponents and capture designated flags.
 
The 1997 and 1998 New Zealand Nationals were among the major five-man events of the period.
 
Saints entered multiple competitive squads during these seasons.
 
=== Seven-man competition ===
 
By 2001, seven-man tournament paintball had become an important part of the New Zealand competitive calendar.
 
The Northland Open, RotoVegas and Nationals contributed to the seven-man rankings maintained by Valhalla.
 
Saints Gold's leading 2001 ranking demonstrated its continued competitiveness as tournament formats evolved.
 
=== Three-man competition ===
 
Saints Gold also participated in the three-man competition format.
 
The smaller format allowed teams to enter multiple squads and participate in specialised tournaments.
 
Saints Gold's fourth-place position in the 2001 three-man rankings provides evidence of the team's involvement beyond larger formats.
 
== National Paintball League ==
 
The original National Paintball League was established in 1997 by Ian Southern and Dave Pellet.
 
The league attempted to coordinate major tournaments and provide regular competition for developing teams.
 
The NPL initially operated First and Second Divisions.
 
First Division incorporated established tournaments such as the Nationals and Northland Open.
 
Saints was among the leading teams of the competitive era in which the NPL operated.
 
However, the Valhalla rankings were independently compiled and should not be confused with official NPL standings.
 
The original two-division NPL structure was reorganised in 1999.
 
Competitive paintball continued through independent national and regional tournaments.
 
Saints remained a leading presence in these competitions.
 
 
== Notable players and leadership ==
 
=== Rik Goldsworthy ===
 
[[Rik Goldsworthy]] was captain of [[Saints Paintball Team|Saints]] during the 2000s, leading the team during a period in which it competed internationally.
 
Goldsworthy was among the Saints players who travelled to California for the March 2004 NPPL Super 7 tournament at Huntington Beach.
 
In April 2004, [[Rob Maddox]] interviewed Goldsworthy for [[Paintball.co.nz]] about the team's experience at the tournament.
 
Goldsworthy reported that Saints had won three of their eight games and described Huntington Beach as the best tournament he had attended.
 
The interview also discussed the team's intention to return to the United States for further competition.


Goldsworthy's captaincy during the 2000s is additionally documented through historical recollection supplied to WikiPaintball research in October 2026.
== Notable players ==


== Historical significance ==
* '''Rick''' – identified as the Saints captain at the 1995 Auckland tournament.[2]
* [[Rik Goldsworthy]] – Saints player and captain during the 2000s; represented the team at the 2004 NPPL Huntington Beach tournament.[13]


Saints was one of New Zealand's most successful paintball teams during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The available sources do not establish whether Rick from the 1995 team and Rik Goldsworthy were the same person.
 
Its record includes:
 
* Second place for Saints Black in the 1997 Valhalla rankings.
* Second place for Saints Black at the 1997 New Zealand Nationals.
* First place for Saints Gold at the 1998 New Zealand Nationals.
* First place for Saints Gold in the 1998, 1999 and 2000 Valhalla rankings.
* First place for Saints Gold in the published 2001 seven-man rankings.
* Second place for Saints Gold in the published 2001 five-man rankings.
* Consistent leading results by Grey, the veteran squad associated with Saints.
 
The team's success was not limited to one playing roster.
 
The competitive results of Saints Gold, Saints Black and Grey demonstrate the depth of the wider organisation during the period.
 
The 1997 Australian magazine coverage also establishes Saints as a team of interest beyond New Zealand's domestic tournament community.
 
Although the team's exact founding date, full player roster and later history have not been fully reconstructed, its surviving results place Saints among the defining tournament organisations of early competitive paintball in New Zealand.


== See also ==
== See also ==


* [[Valhalla National Rankings]]
* [[South Pacific Championships]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)]]
* [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)]]
Line 596: Line 295:
* [[Kamo Karzi]]
* [[Kamo Karzi]]
* [[Tag n' Release]]
* [[Tag n' Release]]
* [[Mercenaries Star]]
* [[Valhalla National Rankings]]
* [[Rik Goldsworthy]]
* [[Rik Goldsworthy]]
* [[History of paintball in New Zealand]]


== References ==
== References ==


# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1998Hall.htm Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 1998]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Lists Saints Gold first, Grey second and Saints Black fifth.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', June–July 1995, "Sydney HEAT Make Friends in High Places".
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1999Hall.htm Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 1999]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Lists Saints Gold first and Grey fourth.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996, report on the Auckland seven-player tournament at Tactics, Bethells Beach.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2000Hall.htm Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 2000]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Lists Saints Gold first, Grey equal second and Saints Black twenty-third. Includes commentary on Saints' preliminary-round performance.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996, "South Pacific Extravaganza".
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2001Hall.htm Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 2001]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Published seven-man, five-man and three-man rankings.
# ''Australian Paintballer'', April–June 1996, "1995 Australian Team Rankings".
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1997Hall.htm Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 1997]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Lists Saints Black second and Grey fifth.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1998Hall.htm Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 1998]. ''Mercenaries Star''.
# ''Paintballer'', issue 16, April–June 1997, cover feature ''Warriors Still! The Saints Determined to Regain Feared Status!''. Original magazine cover preserved in a photograph shared from Mike Willman's historical paintball collection, October 2026. Team identification supplemented by historical recollection.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1999Hall.htm Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 1999]. ''Mercenaries Star''.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/RankIndex.htm Valhalla National Team Ranking Methodology]. ''Mercenaries Star''. Explains treatment of Saints Gold and Black as separate squads, identifies the premier-team convention and describes ranking calculations.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2000Hall.htm Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 2000]. ''Mercenaries Star''.
# Historical recollection supplied to WikiPaintball research, October 2026. Identifies Grey as the Saints-associated veteran squad comprising older players outside the main team.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2001Hall.htm Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 2001]. ''Mercenaries Star''.
# [https://www.warpig.com/paintball/tournament/nppl/2004/hb/index.shtml NPPL Huntington Beach 2004]. ''WARPIG'', March 2004. Contemporary tournament reporting confirming the dates, location, format and artificial-turf playing surfaces.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/1997Hall.htm Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 1997]. ''Mercenaries Star''.
# Rob Maddox, ''Interview: Rik Goldsworthy''. ''Paintball.co.nz'', April 2004. Contemporary interview discussing Saints' participation at Huntington Beach, three wins from eight games and plans to return. [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.paintball.co.nz/articles.htm Historical Paintball.co.nz articles archive].
# ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995–February 1996, report on the Saints' 1995 Australian tournament appearance.
# ''Paintballer'', issue 16, April–June 1997, cover feature, "Warriors Still! The Saints Determined to Regain Feared Status!".
# [https://www.warpig.com/paintball/tournament/nppl/2004/hb/index.shtml WARPIG – NPPL Huntington Beach 2004].
# Rob Maddox, "Interview: Rik Goldsworthy", ''Paintball.co.nz'', April 2004. [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.paintball.co.nz/articles.htm Archived Paintball.co.nz articles].
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/RankIndex.htm Valhalla National Team Ranking Methodology]. ''Mercenaries Star''.


== External links ==
== External links ==
Line 619: Line 323:
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2000Hall.htm Saints in the 2000 national rankings]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2000Hall.htm Saints in the 2000 national rankings]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2001Hall.htm Saints in the 2001 rankings]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2001Hall.htm Saints in the 2001 rankings]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/RankIndex.htm Original Valhalla ranking methodology]
* [https://www.warpig.com/paintball/tournament/nppl/2004/hb/index.shtml 2004 NPPL Huntington Beach coverage]


[[Category:New Zealand paintball teams]]
[[Category:New Zealand paintball teams]]

Revision as of 08:10, 22 October 2026

Saints, also known as Team Saints, was a New Zealand tournament paintball organisation active from at least 1995 into the 2000s. The team won the 1995 South Pacific Championships in Wellington and the 1995 Auckland seven-player tournament.[1][2]

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the organisation entered squads including Saints Gold and Saints Black. A veteran squad recorded as Grey or Saints Grey was also associated with the team. Saints Gold led the independent Valhalla National Rankings in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and headed the published seven-player rankings for 2001.[5][6][7][8]

Saints also competed internationally, travelling to Australia in 1995 and to the United States for the 2004 National Professional Paintball League tournament at Huntington Beach.[3][10]

History

1995 season

New Zealand South Pacific Championship

Saints won the 1995 New Zealand South Pacific Championships, held in Wellington over the Easter weekend. The Australian team Sydney HEAT finished second.[1]

The result demonstrates that Saints had already become one of New Zealand's leading tournament teams by early 1995. It also gave Sydney HEAT its first tournament appearance outside Australia.[1]

Australian South Pacific Championships

Later in 1995, Saints travelled to New South Wales to contest the Australian South Pacific Paintball Championships at Adventure Quest Games near Windsor. Seven ten-player teams competed: Saints, Top Hat Jokers, Sydney SWAT, Black Reign, Black Reign/No Fear, Hardline and United Newcastle.[3]

Saints played strongly but did not advance to the four-team finals. Top Hat Jokers won the tournament, followed by Black Reign, SWAT and Black Reign/No Fear.[3]

In Australian Paintballer's retrospective rankings for the 1995 Australian season, Saints received 56.25 professional ranking points from its single tournament appearance.[4]

The Australian competition was separate from the New Zealand South Pacific Championships won by Saints earlier in the year.

Auckland tournament

Saints won a seven-player tournament held at Tactics, Bethells Beach, Auckland, on 21–22 October 1995. Six teams competed in a double round-robin format, playing each opponent once from each end of the field.[2]

Saints won nine of its ten games, recording five maximum scores and three scores of 98 points. The team finished with 910 points, ahead of X-Men on 683 and Katapo on 628.[2]

Position Team Points
1 Saints 910
2 X-Men 683
3 Katapo 628
4 Whangarei Paint Contractors 324
5 Dragons Claw Hell Patrol 293
6 Dragons Claw Sentinels −35

A contemporary report identified Rick as the Saints captain at the tournament.[2]

Later 1990s

The April–June 1997 issue of the Australasian magazine Paintballer featured Saints on its cover under the headline "Warriors Still!", describing the team as seeking to regain its feared status.[11]

The team subsequently appeared in the independent Valhalla rankings through several separately recorded squads.

Saints Black finished second in the 1997 rankings with 79 points, behind Katipo. At the 1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals, Saints Black also placed second behind Katipo, scoring 866 tournament points.[9]

Saints Gold led the 1998 Valhalla rankings with 92.5 points. Grey placed second and Saints Black fifth, giving the wider Saints organisation three entries among the leading five teams.[5]

At the 1998 New Zealand Nationals, Saints Gold won the tournament with 1,290 points. Paint Contractors finished second with 1,008, while the team recorded in the tournament results as Saints Grey placed third with 970.[5]

Saints Gold remained first in the 1999 Valhalla rankings with 91 points. Grey placed fourth with 77.[6]

2000 season

Saints Gold led the Valhalla rankings for a third consecutive season in 2000, recording 91 points. The ranking compiler noted that the squad had averaged approximately 96 per cent of the available points during the preliminary stages of its tournaments.[7]

Grey finished equal second with Team Crisis on 82.5 points. Saints Black was also recorded in the standings, placing twenty-third with 50 points.[7]

2001 season

Valhalla published separate seven-, five- and three-player rankings in 2001. Saints Gold appeared in all three formats.[8]

In the seven-player rankings, Saints Gold placed first among 23 entries with 400.5 cumulative points. Its results incorporated the Northland Open, RotoVegas and New Zealand Nationals.[8]

Saints Gold – 2001 seven-player ranking contributions
Competition stage Points
Northland Open 100
RotoVegas preliminary round 83.4
RotoVegas First Division round 73.3
Nationals preliminary round 87.5
Nationals First Division final 56.3
Total 400.5

Saints Gold placed second in the five-player rankings with 211 points, behind Tag n' Release on 214.5. These standings incorporated the South Pacific Championships and Wellington Cup.[8]

The squad also placed fourth in the three-player rankings with 152.5 points. The three-player category incorporated the Hawkes Bay Triples, Indoor Three-Man Open and Combat Zone competitions.[8]

2004 NPPL Huntington Beach

Saints travelled to California to compete in the NPPL Super 7 Series tournament at Huntington Beach on 19–21 March 2004. The event attracted approximately 160 teams from twelve countries.[12]

Saints player and captain Rik Goldsworthy subsequently discussed the tournament in an interview conducted by Rob Maddox for Paintball.co.nz. Goldsworthy reported that Saints won three of its eight games.[13]

The interview documents the team's continued activity beyond the years covered by the surviving Valhalla rankings. Goldsworthy also expressed an intention for the team to return to Huntington Beach the following year, although the available source does not confirm that a further appearance took place.[13]

Team structure

Saints Gold

Saints Gold was the organisation's principal competitive squad during the late 1990s and early 2000s. It led the Valhalla rankings for three consecutive seasons from 1998 to 2000 and led the published seven-player standings in 2001.[5][6][7][8]

Saints Black

Saints Black competed as a separately ranked squad. It finished second in the 1997 Valhalla rankings and at the 1997 New Zealand Nationals. The squad placed fifth in the 1998 rankings and also appeared in the 2000 standings.[5][7][9]

Grey

Grey was recorded separately in most Valhalla ranking tables. The 1998 New Zealand Nationals results identified the entry as Saints Grey, supporting its association with the wider Saints organisation.[5]

Grey placed fifth in the 1997 rankings, second in 1998, fourth in 1999 and equal second in 2000.[5][6][7][9]

Valhalla treated separately named squads as independent ranking entries rather than combining their results under a single organisation.[14]

Selected tournament results

Year Tournament Squad Result
1995 South Pacific Championships Saints First
1995 Australian South Pacific Paintball Championships Saints Did not reach finals
1995 Auckland seven-player tournament Saints First
1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Saints Black Second
1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Saints Gold First
1998 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Saints Grey Third
2004 NPPL Huntington Beach Saints Three wins from eight games

National ranking record

Year Squad Format Position Score
1997 Saints Black Combined Second 79
1997 Grey Combined Fifth 71
1998 Saints Gold Combined First 92.5
1998 Grey Combined Second 78
1998 Saints Black Combined Fifth 64
1999 Saints Gold Combined First 91
1999 Grey Combined Fourth 77
2000 Saints Gold Combined First 91
2000 Grey Combined Equal second 82.5
2000 Saints Black Combined Twenty-third 50
2001 Saints Gold Seven-player First 400.5
2001 Saints Gold Five-player Second 211
2001 Saints Gold Three-player Fourth 152.5

The 2001 figures are cumulative tournament-round totals and are not directly comparable with the ranking scores used in previous seasons.[8]

Notable players

  • Rick – identified as the Saints captain at the 1995 Auckland tournament.[2]
  • Rik Goldsworthy – Saints player and captain during the 2000s; represented the team at the 2004 NPPL Huntington Beach tournament.[13]

The available sources do not establish whether Rick from the 1995 team and Rik Goldsworthy were the same person.

See also

References

  1. Australian Paintballer, June–July 1995, "Sydney HEAT Make Friends in High Places".
  2. Australian Paintballer, December 1995–February 1996, report on the Auckland seven-player tournament at Tactics, Bethells Beach.
  3. Australian Paintballer, December 1995–February 1996, "South Pacific Extravaganza".
  4. Australian Paintballer, April–June 1996, "1995 Australian Team Rankings".
  5. Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 1998. Mercenaries Star.
  6. Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 1999. Mercenaries Star.
  7. Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 2000. Mercenaries Star.
  8. Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 2001. Mercenaries Star.
  9. Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 1997. Mercenaries Star.
  10. Australian Paintballer, December 1995–February 1996, report on the Saints' 1995 Australian tournament appearance.
  11. Paintballer, issue 16, April–June 1997, cover feature, "Warriors Still! The Saints Determined to Regain Feared Status!".
  12. WARPIG – NPPL Huntington Beach 2004.
  13. Rob Maddox, "Interview: Rik Goldsworthy", Paintball.co.nz, April 2004. Archived Paintball.co.nz articles.
  14. Valhalla National Team Ranking Methodology. Mercenaries Star.
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