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Rewrite New Zealand tournament history using expanded 1994-2026 records; add early championships, Super 5s, NZPPL organisations, NZLS, ECPL and Arena Race Series; update verified results, formats and historical sources.
 
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'''Paintball tournaments in New Zealand''' have been organised since at least the 1990s, with competitive events taking place throughout the North and South Islands. Competitions have included national championships, regional tournaments, multi-event leagues, three-player competitions, five-player speedball, seven-player tournaments and X-Ball.
'''Paintball tournaments in New Zealand''' have been documented since at least 1994, with organised competition taking place across both the North and South Islands. Tournaments have included national championships, regional cups, three-player and five-player competitions, seven-player tournaments, mechanical-marker events and [[X-Ball]] leagues.[1][2][3]


New Zealand's tournament scene has historically consisted of independently organised competitions, field-operated events and structured national or regional leagues. The organisation of competitive paintball has changed considerably over time, with different leagues and organisers emerging across successive decades.
New Zealand tournament paintball has developed through independently organised events, commercial playing fields, regional clubs and national competition series. Major historical competitions have included the [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]], [[South Pacific Championships]], [[Northland Open]], [[Super 5s (New Zealand)|Super 5s]] and [[Hawke's Bay Triples]].


Early competitions included the [[New Zealand Nationals]], [[Northland Open]], [[South Pacific Championships]] and [[Hawke's Bay Triples]]. The establishment of the [[New Zealand National Paintball League]] in 1997 represented an attempt to coordinate existing tournaments into a national competition structure.
The [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)|National Paintball League]] (NPL), established in 1997, was an early attempt to coordinate existing tournaments within a national competition structure. Later organisers included the [[New Zealand Premier Paintball League]], [[New Zealand Paintball Players League]], [[South Auckland Paintball Club]] and the New Zealand Local Series (NZLS).[4][5]


During the 2000s and 2010s, competitive paintball increasingly adopted international speedball and X-Ball formats. The [[New Zealand Paintball Players League]] (NZPPL) and [[South Auckland Paintball Club]] (SAPC) organised major competitive events during the early 2010s.
During the 2020s, documented competitions included the [[East Coast Paintball League]], [[New Zealand Race Series]] at [[Arena Paintball]] in Feilding and regional tournaments organised by paintball clubs and commercial venues.[6][7]
 
By the 2020s, organised competition included the [[New Zealand Race Series]] at [[Arena Paintball]] in Feilding, tournaments at [[Asylum Paintball]] in Auckland, regional three-player competitions and the [[Ashburton Paintball League]].


== History ==
== History ==


=== Early tournament development ===
=== Early documented tournaments, 1994-1996 ===
 
Organised paintball tournaments were taking place in New Zealand before the establishment of the first documented national league in 1997.
 
By the late 1990s, established competitions included the [[New Zealand Nationals]], [[South Pacific Championships]] and regional tournaments in Auckland, Northland and Wellington.
 
These events were generally organised independently by paintball field operators, clubs and teams. Tournament formats included centre-flag and two-flag elimination games, often using five- or seven-player teams.
 
The [[Mercenaries Star]] historical archive provides one of the most detailed surviving records of New Zealand tournament paintball between 1997 and 2001. Its tournament calendar identifies competitions in Auckland, Whangārei, Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Rotorua, Dunedin and Invercargill. [1]
 
=== New Zealand National Paintball League, 1997-1999 ===
 
The [[New Zealand National Paintball League]] (NPL) began operating in 1997. It was founded by Ian Southern and Dave Pellet, associated with [[Splatman Paintball]].
 
An introductory letter circulated in December 1996 outlined the league's intention to coordinate New Zealand tournaments, improve refereeing standards and develop organised competitive paintball.
 
The initial participating operators were [[Splatman Paintball]], [[Strategy Tag]] in Whangārei and [[Actions Paintball Sports Arena]] in Auckland.
 
The league operated a two-division structure.
 
First Division incorporated established major tournaments, including the [[New Zealand Nationals]] and [[Queen's Birthday Paintball Tournament]], alongside the newly established [[Northland Open]].
 
Second Division operated a more regular competition schedule involving participating fields. Matches were intended to provide opportunities for less experienced teams and develop players for higher-level competition.
 
The NPL ceased operating in its original form in 1999 after losing support from participating field operators. Kyn Jackson of Actions Paintball subsequently continued elements of the tournament structure without the original Second Division competition. [2][3]
 
=== Regional tournament expansion, 2000-2001 ===
 
By 2000, tournament calendars included independently organised competitions across both islands.
 
The [[Mercenaries Star]] calendar identified the [[Northland Open]], [[Hawke's Bay Triples]], [[South Pacific Championships]], [[APSA Easter Challenge]], [[APSA Mayhem]], [[Wellington Cup]], [[Dunedin Five-Man Tournament]], [[National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition]] and [[New Zealand Nationals]].
 
Additional events included the [[Rotorua Invitational]], [[Dunedin City Challenge]], [[Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament]] and [[Indoor Three-Man Open Competition]].
 
The 2001 Volcanic Rotorua tournament was advertised as a seven-player event at Rotorua International Stadium using inflatable Sup'Air bunkers, reflecting New Zealand's adoption of international tournament equipment and playing formats. [1][4]
 
=== National tournament rankings ===
 
The Mercenaries Star website maintained a historical tournament results database known as [[Valhalla (paintball rankings)|Valhalla]].
 
Valhalla compiled results from multiple independently organised competitions and calculated national team rankings. It attempted to account for differences in tournament formats, scoring systems and the number of competition rounds.
 
The database covered tournaments from 1997 onward and provided separate rankings for three-, five- and seven-player competition by 2001.
 
The published 2000 rankings were led by [[Team Saints|Saints Gold]].
 
The 2001 Valhalla rankings named [[Team Saints]] as the seven-player national ranking champion, [[Tag n' Release]] as the five-player champion and [[DamNatives]] as the three-player champion.
 
These were composite rankings produced by Valhalla and should not be confused with the winners of an individual [[New Zealand Nationals]] tournament. [5][6]
 
=== Development of X-Ball competition ===
 
New Zealand tournament paintball increasingly adopted X-Ball and race-to formats during the late 2000s and early 2010s.
 
By 2013, the [[New Zealand Paintball Players League]] was organising multi-event seasons involving teams from different regions.
 
The [[2013 NZPPL Series Final]] was held at [[Asylum Paintball]] in Auckland. [[KC Damage]] won the final tournament, followed by [[Wellington Vendetta]] and [[X-Fighter$ Fracture]]. [[X-Fighter$]] won the overall 2013 season championship.
 
In 2014, the NZPPL organised competitions in Paraparaumu and Auckland, concluding with the [[International Pacific Championship]].
 
During the same period, [[South Auckland Paintball Club]] operated a separate multi-round race series at Asylum Paintball, including open X-Ball and mechanical-marker divisions. [7][8][9]
 
=== Competition in the 2020s ===
 
Competitive paintball continued through field-based and regional tournament programmes during the 2020s.
 
The [[New Zealand Race Series]] operated at [[Arena Paintball]] in Feilding, with events documented during 2023, 2025 and 2026.


[[Asylum Paintball]] organised a four-round [[Asylum Three-Man Tournament Series]] during 2025.
Tournament paintball was established in New Zealand before the creation of a national league in 1997.


In June 2026, [[Bay of Plenty Paintball Club]] hosted the [[Bay of Plenty Paintball Triples]] at TECT Park near Tauranga, attracting teams from several North Island regions.
One of the earliest dated records concerns the inaugural Invercargill three-player competition in 1994. In a retrospective published in June 1998, organiser Ken Ryder recalled that four teams entered the first tournament, which was won by the Invercargill team S.L.O.B.s (Slow Old Bastards).[1]


The [[Ashburton Paintball League]] advertised a six-round competition schedule for its 2026-2027 season, with events at [[Ashburton Paintball Park]] or other designated venues. [10][11][12][13]
A planned 1994 edition of the [[South Pacific Championships]] in Wellington was cancelled because of insufficient entries. Contemporary correspondence published in ''Australian Paintballer'' discussed the cost of entering the competition as a contributing factor.[2]


== National and regional tournament leagues ==
The South Pacific Championships took place in Wellington over Easter 1995. [[The Saints|Saints]] won the event, with Sydney HEAT of Australia finishing second.[3]


=== [[New Zealand National Paintball League]] (NPL) ===
The [[1995 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]] was held on 21-22 October at Tactics in Bethells Beach, Auckland. Six teams competed in a seven-player tournament. Saints won with 910 points, followed by X-Men with 683 and Katipo, recorded as Katapo in the contemporary report, with 628. The results were published by Cameron McLeay in ''Australian Paintballer''.[8]


* '''Years documented:''' 1997-1999
In the South Island, the [[1995 South Island Championships]] was held in Dunedin. The competition included open-class and pump-action events, both won by Flashpoint. A contemporary report appeared in the April-June 1996 issue of ''Australian Paintballer''.[9]
* '''Region:''' Auckland and Northland
* '''Founders:''' Ian Southern and Dave Pellet
* '''Format:''' First and Second Division competition


The NPL was an early attempt to establish a coordinated national tournament structure.
The surviving evidence establishes organised tournament activity by 1994 but does not identify New Zealand's first tournament or confirm a complete national calendar for the preceding decade.


Its First Division incorporated major independent tournaments, while Second Division offered more regular field-based competition.
=== National Paintball League, 1997-1999 ===


The original league ceased in 1999. [2]
The original [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)|National Paintball League]] began operating in 1997 following an introductory letter circulated in December 1996.


=== [[Rotorua Invitational]] ===
The league was developed by Ian Southern and Dave Pellet, associated with [[Splatman Paintball]]. Its initial participating operators were Splatman, [[Strategy Tag]] in Whangārei and [[Actions Paintball Sports Arena]] in Auckland.[4]


* '''Years documented:''' 2000-2001
The NPL established two divisions. First Division incorporated major tournaments, including the Nationals, Queen's Birthday competition and Northland Open. Second Division provided more regular competition for developing teams at participating fields.
* '''Location:''' Rotorua
* '''Organisers:''' [[Rotorua Paintball Club]] and [[Tag n' Release]]
* '''Format:''' Invitational speedball competition


The Rotorua Invitational was developed as a smaller competition encouraging teams from different regions and experience levels to play together.
The [[1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]] took place on 25-26 October at Actions Paintball in Te Atatū, Auckland. Eleven teams competed in a five-player centre-flag format. Katipo One won the tournament with 1,008 points, followed by Saints Black. Kamo Karzi won Second Division and finished third overall.[10]


The inaugural event was held at Blue Lake Reserve on 3 December 2000.
The Nationals continued in 1998 and 1999, with Saints Gold winning in 1998 and Paint Contractors in 1999.[10]


Participating teams included [[Katipo]], [[Tag n' Release]], [[Havoc]] and [[DamNatives]].
The original NPL structure ended in 1999 after losing the support of participating field operators. Kyn Jackson of Actions Paintball continued elements of its tournament organisation without the original Second Division programme.[4]


Katipo won the inaugural competition.
=== Regional tournaments and national rankings, 2000-2002 ===


The organisers proposed holding further invitational events approximately every two or three months. The complete number of events subsequently held has not been established. [14]
By 2000, tournaments were documented in Auckland, Whangārei, Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Rotorua, Dunedin and Invercargill.


=== [[New Zealand Paintball Players League]] (NZPPL) ===
The [[Mercenaries Star]] archive records events including the [[Northland Open]], [[Wellington Cup]], [[Hawke's Bay Triples]], [[Dunedin City Challenge]], [[South Pacific Championships]] and [[National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition]].[11]


* '''Years documented:''' 2013-2014
The archive also maintained the [[Valhalla (paintball rankings)|Valhalla]] national rankings database, which combined tournament results across different competitions.
* '''Locations:''' Auckland and Kāpiti Coast
* '''Format:''' X-Ball and race-to competition


The NZPPL organised national-level tournament seasons involving established competitive paintball teams.
Saints Gold led the inaugural 2000 Valhalla rankings. In 2001, the rankings named Saints as the seven-player national ranking champion, Tag n' Release as the five-player champion and DamNatives as the three-player champion.[12][13]


The 2013 series championship was won by [[X-Fighter$]].
These were composite rankings rather than the results of a single national championship.


Documented 2014 events included:
Rotorua hosted two distinct tournaments during this period. The [[Rotorua Invitational]] began on 3 December 2000 at Blue Lake Reserve, with Katipo winning the inaugural event. The [[Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament]] was separately advertised for 2-3 June 2001 at Rotorua International Stadium, using seven-player, two-flag rules and inflatable tournament bunkers.[14][15]


* [[2014 NZPPL Race 2 Event 1]], Paraparaumu, 12-13 April
The [[South Pacific Championships]] continued in the Wellington region. The 2002 edition was a seven-player competition won by Saints, with Tag and Training second and Tag n' Release third.[16]
* [[2014 NZPPL Race 2-4 Event 2]], Auckland, 30-31 August
* [[2014 International Pacific Championship]], Auckland, 25-26 October


The International Pacific Championship attracted teams from New Zealand, Australia and French Polynesia.
=== Super 5s and regional expansion, 2003-2007 ===


[[Team Trauma (New Zealand)|Trauma]] won the Division 1 competition at the 2014 International Pacific Championship. [7][8][9]
The early 2000s saw continued development of regular five-player speedball competition alongside independent seven-player tournaments.


=== [[South Auckland Paintball Club Race Series]] ===
The [[Super 5s (New Zealand)|Super 5s]] was operating by 2003 at Extreme Events in Auckland. Its first half of the 2003 season comprised rounds from February through June, with Menace leading the published standings on 3,043 points.[17]


* '''Years documented:''' 2014-2015
The same venue hosted the [[2003 Auckland Queen's Birthday Superball]], a separate seven-player tournament organised by Wayne Rolleston. Twelve teams competed, with Phoenix winning ahead of Raiders, Saints and Bad Karma.[18]
* '''Location:''' [[Asylum Paintball]], Kingseat, Auckland
* '''Organiser:''' [[South Auckland Paintball Club]]
* '''Format:''' Open X-Ball, mechanical-marker and novice competition


South Auckland Paintball Club operated a multi-round tournament series designed to provide regular competitive opportunities.
The Super 5s subsequently operated at Kumeu and other Auckland venues.


The 2014 season consisted of four documented events:
The 2006 season used two divisions. Menace won Division 1 with 8,688 championship points, while Legion won Division 2 with 5,512 points.[19]


* [[SAPC February Race 2014]], 8-9 February
In 2007, the Super 5s held early rounds at A Paintball Adventure in Papakura before announcing a move to Actions Paintball in Swanson for the final part of the season. Legion and Menace were among the leading teams during the documented rounds.[20]
* [[SAPC May Race 2014]], 3-4 May
* [[SAPC July Race 2014]], 12-13 July
* [[SAPC September Race 2014]], 27-28 September


[[ADHD (paintball team)|ADHD]] won the 2014 Open X-Ball season championship, winning all four rounds.
A separate organisation, the [[New Zealand Premier Paintball League]], promoted XPS tournaments during 2006-2007, including three-player, five-player X-Ball and seven-player formats.[21]


Other competing teams included [[Disposal Unit]], [[Tempest (New Zealand paintball team)|Tempest]], [[CamoMeat]], [[Shattered (paintball team)|Shattered]], [[Mischief Militia]] and [[Low Gear]].
The [[2007 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]] took place at Actions Paintball in Swanson on 20-21 October. Menace won, defeating Muppets Inc in the final. Fusion finished third and Intense fourth.[22]


The 2015 series included four documented events between January and August. [15][16]
=== Regional competition, 2008-2010 ===


=== [[New Zealand Race Series]] ===
Independent tournaments continued alongside national and regional series.


* '''Years documented:''' 2023-2026
The [[2008 Western Springs Open]] was held at Western Springs Stadium in Auckland on 25-26 October. Nine teams competed in five-player paintball, with Flashpoint defeating Blast 2-1 in the final.[23]
* '''Location:''' [[Arena Paintball]], Feilding
* '''Format:''' Race-format X-Ball


The New Zealand Race Series has been organised at Arena Paintball in Feilding, Manawatū.
Christchurch also hosted a three-player tournament on 2-3 February 2008, documented through contemporary NZ P8NT forum announcements and post-event discussion.[24]


The series has attracted teams from New Zealand and overseas, including French Polynesia and Australia.
Other documented competitions during this period included tournaments in Hamilton, Tauranga, Whanganui, Palmerston North and Hawke's Bay.


[[Phoenix Tahiti]] placed third at the 2023 Labour Day event.
On 20-21 November 2010, the [[2010 Greater Auckland Open]] was held at North Shore Paintball. Eight teams competed in a race-to-three format. SCK won, with Clown Monkeys finishing second. The tournament was filmed by [[DerDer]], whose archived video listings preserve several matches.[25]


The advertised 2026 dates were:
=== New Zealand Paintball Players League, 2011-2014 ===


* [[2026 New Zealand Race Series Event 1]], 4-5 April
The [[New Zealand Paintball Players League]] (NZPPL) organised tournament competition during the early 2010s. Jason Newport identified 2010 as the year he established the league.[26]
* [[2026 New Zealand Race Series Event 2]], 11-12 July
* [[2026 New Zealand Race Series Event 3]], 24-25 October


The competition format included ten-minute games, a mercy limit of four, restricted paint allowances and Cup and Plate finals.
The later NZPPL should be distinguished from the New Zealand Premier Paintball League active during 2006-2007. Both organisations used the NZPPL abbreviation and nzppl.com domain, but their formal organisational relationship has not been established.[21][26]


The October 2026 round was still forthcoming as of 15 October 2026. [10][17]
The Players League organised events in Horowhenua, Rotorua, Auckland and the Kāpiti Coast.


=== [[Asylum Three-Man Tournament Series]] ===
The 2011 programme included tournaments at Tatum Park near Levin, Lakes Ranch near Rotorua and Waikanae.[26]


* '''Year documented:''' 2025
In 2013, the NZPPL held a three-round Super 5 Man series. X-Fighter$ won the opening event at Waikanae and X-Fighter$ Fracture won the second event at Paraparaumu.
* '''Location:''' [[Asylum Paintball]], Kingseat, Auckland
* '''Format:''' Three-player limited-paint competition


Asylum Paintball organised a four-event three-player tournament series during 2025.
The final tournament, promoted as the 2013 NZPPL Nationals, took place at [[Asylum Paintball]] in Kingseat on 26-27 October. KC Damage won the event ahead of Wellington Vendetta and X-Fighter$ Fracture. X-Fighter$ won the overall 2013 series championship.[27]


The fourth event, [[Asylum Three-Man Tournament Series Event 4]], was advertised for 20 September 2025.
The [[2014 NZPPL International Pacific Championship]] was held at Asylum Paintball on 25-26 October 2014. Eight teams from New Zealand, Australia and French Polynesia competed in Division 1 X-Ball.


Rules included a maximum of four players per roster, hopper-plus-one paint restrictions, round-robin matches and best-of-three finals. [11]
Trauma won the championship, defeating Legacy NZ 4-1 in the final. Kamikaze Knights finished third, while Phoenix Tahiti placed fourth.[28]


=== [[Ashburton Paintball League]] (APL) ===
=== South Auckland Paintball Club Race Series ===


* '''Years documented:''' 2026-2027
The [[South Auckland Paintball Club]] (SAPC) operated a separate series at Asylum Paintball during 2014 and 2015.
* '''Location:''' Ashburton, Canterbury
* '''Organiser:''' [[Ashburton Paintball]]
* '''Format:''' Three-player limited-paint competition


The Ashburton Paintball League is a regional tournament series designed to provide opportunities for both experienced and introductory competitive players.
The 2014 competition comprised four rounds in February, May, July and September. It included Open X-Ball and mechanical pump divisions.


Its advertised 2026-2027 season consists of six rounds beginning on 10 October 2026 and continuing into April 2027.
ADHD won all four Open X-Ball rounds and the season championship with 400 ranking points. Disposal Unit finished second with 314.5 points, followed by Tempest with 229.[29]


The programme also includes the [[Ashburton Paintball League Cup]] and an individual [[APL Top Shooter Competition]].
The mechanical competition operated separately, with ADHD RED winning the 2014 Mechanical Pump Division 4 season standings.[29]


The league uses a modified National X-Ball League rules framework reviewed and approved by the [[New Zealand Paintball Federation]].
SAPC continued organising documented race-format tournaments in 2015.


An earlier [[Ashburton Paintball League Open Tournament]] was reported in April 2026. [12][25]
=== New Zealand Local Series, 2016-2019 ===


== Major independent tournaments ==
The '''New Zealand Local Series''' (NZLS) operated regional tournament rounds during the second half of the 2010s.


=== [[New Zealand Nationals]] ===
Surviving records document events in Hāwera, Palmerston North and Auckland between 2016 and 2019.


* '''Years documented:''' 1990s-2001
The 2017 final round was held at Lock N Load Adventures, while the 2018 final round took place at Asylum Paintball. A contemporary Bay of Plenty Paintball Club report recorded its leading team finishing second at the 2018 final and second overall in the North Island series.[30]
* '''Historical location:''' Auckland
* '''Format:''' Primarily seven-player competition during the later documented period


The New Zealand Nationals was among the country's most established tournament paintball competitions during the 1990s and early 2000s.
In October 2019, Ballistics Unit reported winning the NZLS season championship with one round remaining after competing at Hāwera. The result is documented in the team's contemporary report.[31]


The tournament attracted teams from multiple regions and was incorporated into the First Division competition structure of the [[New Zealand National Paintball League]] during the late 1990s.
=== East Coast Paintball League, 2020-2022 ===


The event continued independently of the original NPL structure after 1999.
The [[East Coast Paintball League]] (ECPL) was established in 2020 to encourage regional competition in the upper North Island.


The 2000 tournament included separate competitive divisions, with [[Tag n' Release]] winning Second Division.
Its opening tournament took place on 23 February 2020 at Bay of Plenty Paintball Club's field at TECT All Terrain Park. Surge won the event, followed by The Ponies in the opening-round championship standings.[6]


Results from the [[2001 New Zealand Nationals]] are preserved within the Valhalla national rankings database.
The league continued to publish tournament schedules during 2020 and 2021. Its 2022 programme advertised four rounds of three-player X-Ball with seven-minute games and limited paint allowances.[32]


The precise inaugural year and complete list of tournament champions remain subjects for further historical research. [1][5][18]
The ECPL programme provided an alternative to larger five-player race competitions, with an emphasis on regional participation and developing players.


=== [[Northland Open]] ===
=== New Zealand Race Series and Arena Paintball ===


* '''Years documented:''' 1997-2001
[[Arena Paintball]] in Feilding became an important venue for five-player race-format competition.
* '''Location:''' Whangārei, Northland
* '''Format:''' Seven-player competition by 2001


The Northland Open was an established regional tournament and one of the competitions included in the original NPL First Division calendar.
The opening [[2020 New Zealand Race Series Event 1]] took place in March 2020. Expendables won, followed by Ballistics Unit and The Replacements.[33]


The tournament traditionally took place near the beginning of the competitive season.
PBLeagues subsequently recorded the [[2021 Paintball Factory Cup]] on 24-25 April and [[2021 Corkill Cup]] on 23-24 October at Arena Paintball. The registration database lists eight teams for the Paintball Factory Cup and five for the Corkill Cup, but the recovered records do not establish their final standings.[34][35]


The 2000 event was played on a rugby field converted for paintball competition.
A three-round Arena five-player race competition was advertised for 2022, with events in April, June and October.[36]


The [[2001 Northland Open]] was scheduled for 25 February at Jubilee Park, Whangārei, using a seven-player, two-flag format.
The series continued through the following seasons, attracting teams from New Zealand and overseas, including Australia and French Polynesia.


Teams appearing in the 2001 results included [[Team Saints]], [[Katipo]], [[Phantom 5]], [[Tag n' Release]] and [[Team Insane]]. [1][19]
The 2023 series championship was won by Expendables.[7]


=== [[South Pacific Championships]] ===
Arena Paintball advertised three tournament weekends in each of 2024 and 2025, continuing the race-to format with round-robin competition followed by Cup and Plate finals.[7]


* '''Years documented:''' 1990s-2001
=== Competition in 2026 ===
* '''Location:''' Wellington region
* '''Format:''' Five-player competition by 2001


The South Pacific Championships, commonly known as the South Pacs, was one of New Zealand's older regional tournaments.
Arena Paintball's 2026 calendar scheduled three race-format tournaments:


Its central location attracted teams from both the North and South Islands.
* [[2026 Arena Paintball Easter Race]], 4-5 April
* [[2026 Arena Paintball Matariki Race]], 11-12 July
* [[2026 Arena Paintball Labour Day Cup]], 24-25 October


The [[2001 South Pacific Championships]] was held on 14-15 April at [[Thunderball Paintball]] in Manor Park, Upper Hutt.
The events used five-player teams, ten-minute matches and a four-point mercy rule, with restrictions on paint carried by each player.[37]


The tournament used five-player centre-flag rules.
The October Labour Day Cup attracted eleven entries representing ten teams, with Ballistics Unit entering two squads. A post-tournament report attributed to Ralph Tsing recorded Ballistics Unit in first place, Manawatu Titans second and Cult third. The available report does not establish which Ballistics Unit squad won.[38]


Historical organisers included Thunderball field operator John Clement.
Regional competitions also continued. Bay of Plenty Paintball Club advertised a return of its [[Bay of Plenty Paintball Triples]] at TECT Park for 7 June 2026, with teams expected from several North Island regions.[39]


Teams appearing in the 2001 results included [[Tag n' Release]], [[Team Saints]], [[DamNatives]] and [[Phoenix (Wellington paintball team)|Phoenix]]. [1][20]
In Canterbury, the [[Ashburton Paintball League]] advertised a six-round three-player competition for the 2026-2027 season.[40]


=== [[Hawke's Bay Triples]] ===
== Major tournament series ==


* '''Years documented:''' 2000-2001
The following table summarises selected national and regional competition structures. The years indicate documented activity, not necessarily uninterrupted operation throughout every intervening season.
* '''Location:''' Hawke's Bay
* '''Format:''' Three-player centre-flag competition


The Hawke's Bay Triples was a regional three-player tournament organised by [[Paintball Hawke's Bay]].
{| class="wikitable"
! Organisation or series
! Documented period
! Principal region or venue
! Format
|-
| [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)|National Paintball League]]
| 1997-1999
| Auckland and Northland
| First and Second Division tournaments
|-
| [[Super 5s (New Zealand)|Super 5s]]
| 2003-2007
| Auckland
| Five-player speedball
|-
| [[New Zealand Premier Paintball League]]
| 2006-2007
| New Zealand
| XPS three-player, five-player and seven-player competitions
|-
| [[New Zealand Paintball Players League]]
| 2011-2014
| Auckland, Horowhenua, Rotorua and Kāpiti Coast
| Five-player and X-Ball
|-
| [[South Auckland Paintball Club]]
| 2014-2015
| Asylum Paintball, Auckland
| Open X-Ball and mechanical-marker competition
|-
| New Zealand Local Series
| 2016-2019
| Multiple North Island venues
| Regional speedball
|-
| [[East Coast Paintball League]]
| 2020-2022
| Bay of Plenty
| Three-player X-Ball
|-
| [[New Zealand Race Series]]
| 2020; 2022-2026
| Arena Paintball, Feilding
| Five-player race-format X-Ball
|}


The [[2001 Hawke's Bay Triples]] took place on 3-4 February at the Pines Paintball Field on State Highway 50, Roy's Hill.
== Selected tournament and championship results ==


The competition used limited-paint rules with 100 rounds per player per game and centre-flag scoring.
The following results illustrate the documented competitive history of New Zealand tournament paintball. The table is selective and does not constitute a complete national championship register.


Historical organiser Les Hall was listed as the tournament contact.
{| class="wikitable"
 
! Year
Participating teams in the 2001 rankings included [[DamNatives]], [[Tag n' Release]], [[House Steiner]], [[Phoenix (Wellington paintball team)|Phoenix]], [[DaBayBoyz]] and [[Total Kaos]].
! Tournament or championship
 
! Winning team
The competition developed from an earlier recreational event known as [[Fantasyland (paintball event)|Fantasyland]], according to the Mercenaries Star archive. [1][21]
! Notes
 
|-
=== [[APSA Easter Challenge]] ===
| 1994
 
| [[1994 Invercargill Three-Man Tournament]]
* '''Years documented:''' Around 2000
| S.L.O.B.s
* '''Location:''' Auckland
| Inaugural tournament; four teams.[1]
* '''Organiser:''' [[Actions Paintball Sports Arena]]
|-
 
| 1995
The APSA Easter Challenge was organised as an Auckland-based alternative to the [[South Pacific Championships]].
| [[1995 South Pacific Championships]]
 
| Saints
The event was intended to provide opportunities for teams unable to travel to Wellington.
| Sydney HEAT second.[3]
 
|-
It appeared in the historical national tournament calendar around 2000, although the complete event history and results have not been recovered. [1]
| 1995
 
| [[1995 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
=== [[APSA Mayhem]] ===
| Saints
 
| Seven-player tournament at Bethells Beach.[8]
* '''Years documented:''' 2000 and earlier
|-
* '''Location:''' Auckland
| 1997
* '''Organiser:''' [[Actions Paintball Sports Arena]]
| [[1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* '''Format:''' Five-player, later seven-player competition
| Katipo One
 
| Overall winner; five-player format.[10]
APSA Mayhem was an established Auckland tournament organised by Kyn Jackson of Actions Paintball Sports Arena.
|-
 
| 2002
The event changed from five-player to seven-player competition as part of efforts to align New Zealand tournament play more closely with international formats.
| [[2002 South Pacific Championships]]
 
| Saints
[[Tag n' Release]] competed at the 2000 event.
| Seven-player competition.[16]
 
|-
The competition was subsequently listed as defunct in the Mercenaries Star historical calendar. [1][18]
| 2003
 
| [[2003 Auckland Queen's Birthday Superball]]
=== [[Wellington Cup]] ===
| Phoenix
 
| Raiders second.[18]
* '''Years documented:''' 2000-2001
|-
* '''Location:''' Wellington region
| 2006
* '''Format:''' Five-player competition
| [[2006 Super 5s (New Zealand)|Super 5s]]
 
| Menace
The Wellington Cup was a regional five-player tournament.
| Division 1 season championship.[19]
 
|-
Historical results confirm that [[Tag n' Release]] competed in the 2000 event and placed second.
| 2006
 
| [[2006 Super 5s (New Zealand)|Super 5s]]
The [[2001 Wellington Cup]] also appeared in the national Valhalla results database.
| Legion
 
| Division 2 season championship.[19]
Teams appearing in the 2001 rankings included [[Team Saints]], [[Tag n' Release]], [[House Steiner]], [[DamNatives]] and [[Warp Speed]]. [5][18]
|-
 
| 2007
=== [[National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition]] ===
| [[2007 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
 
| Menace
* '''Years documented:''' 2000-2001
| Muppets Inc second.[22]
* '''Location:''' Invercargill, Southland
|-
* '''Format:''' Three-player centre-flag competition
| 2008
 
| [[2008 Western Springs Open]]
The National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition was hosted in Invercargill.
| Flashpoint
 
| Defeated Blast 2-1.[23]
It was one of the southernmost tournament paintball competitions in New Zealand.
|-
 
| 2010
The competition appeared in the 2000 and 2001 tournament calendars.
| [[2010 Greater Auckland Open]]
 
| SCK
The [[2001 National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition]] results are preserved in the Valhalla database.
| Clown Monkeys second.[25]
 
|-
Participating teams included [[Flashpoint]], [[Damage Inc]], [[Fear Factory (New Zealand paintball team)|Fear Factory]] and [[Team X]]. [1][5]
| 2013
 
| [[New Zealand Paintball Players League|NZPPL Super 5 Man Series]]
=== [[Dunedin City Challenge]] ===
| X-Fighter$
 
| Overall series championship.[27]
* '''Year documented:''' 2000
|-
* '''Location:''' Ultimate Game, Three Mile Hill, Dunedin
| 2014
* '''Organiser:''' Brian "B2" Thornley
| [[2014 NZPPL International Pacific Championship]]
* '''Format:''' Five-player centre-flag competition
| Trauma
 
| Defeated Legacy NZ 4-1.[28]
The Dunedin City Challenge was organised by [[Ultimate Game Paintball]].
|-
 
| 2014
The event was advertised for Sunday, 5 November 2000.
| [[South Auckland Paintball Club|SAPC Open X-Ball]]
 
| ADHD
It used a five-player centre-flag format with a limit of 200 paintballs per player per game.
| Won all four rounds.[29]
 
|-
Brian Thornley, operator of Ultimate Game, was listed as the event contact. [22]
| 2020
 
| [[2020 New Zealand Race Series Event 1]]
=== [[Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament]] ===
| Expendables
 
| Ballistics Unit second.[33]
* '''Year documented:''' 2001
|-
* '''Location:''' Rotorua International Stadium
| 2026
* '''Organisers:''' [[Rotorua Paintball Club]] and [[Tag n' Release]]
| [[2026 Arena Paintball Labour Day Cup]]
* '''Format:''' Seven-player tournament
| Ballistics Unit
 
| Reported placing; winning squad not identified.[38]
The Volcanic Rotorua tournament, also promoted as RotoVegas Rotorua, was advertised for 2-3 June 2001.
|}
 
The event was intended to introduce an international-style Sup'Air tournament environment at Rotorua International Stadium.
 
It used seven-player, two-flag rules based on the Australian Professional Paintball League rule framework.
 
The competition appeared in the 2001 Valhalla database under [[RotoVegas Rotorua|RotoVegas]].
 
Participating teams included [[Team Saints]], [[Jetts]], [[Katipo]], [[Damage]], [[DamNatives]], [[Phantom 5]], [[Tag n' Release]], [[Black Dragon]], [[Havoc]] and [[Team Insane]]. [4][5]
 
=== [[Indoor Three-Man Open Competition]] ===
 
* '''Year documented:''' 2001
* '''Location:''' [[Urban Combat Paintball]], Pakuranga, Auckland
* '''Format:''' Three-player indoor tournament
 
The Indoor Three-Man Open Competition was held at Urban Combat in Pakuranga, Auckland.
 
The event is recorded in the 2001 Valhalla national tournament results database.
 
Unlike the predominantly outdoor tournaments of the period, the competition was played at an indoor paintball venue.
 
The historical results identify the following teams among the competitors:
 
* [[Team Insane]]
* [[Havoc]]
* [[Pubes (paintball team)|Pubes]]
* [[Tangello]]
* [[Nuke'm]]
* [[Orange (paintball team)|Orange]]
 
[[Team Insane|Insane]] recorded the highest opening-round score in the surviving results, followed by Havoc.
 
The precise tournament date and complete final standings have not yet been established. The Pakuranga venue identification is based on participant recollection. [5]
 
=== [[Combat Zone Three-Man Tournament]] ===
 
* '''Year documented:''' 2001
* '''Location:''' Not established
* '''Format:''' Three-player competition
 
The Combat Zone Three-Man Tournament appears in the 2001 Valhalla national rankings.
 
Participating teams included [[DamNatives]], [[Team Saints]], [[Team Insane]], [[Tag n' Release]], [[Phantom 5]], [[Team Raven]] and [[Insane B]].
 
The competition included preliminary and final rounds.
 
The event's venue and organiser require further confirmation. [5]
 
=== [[Southern Three-Man Competition]] ===
 
* '''Year documented:''' 2000
* '''Region:''' South Island
* '''Format:''' Three-player competition
 
The Southern Three-Man Competition was identified in the 2000 Valhalla rankings commentary as an event for which results were missing.
 
The surviving reference establishes that the competition was known to the contemporary rankings compiler, but does not provide its precise venue, organiser or final standings. [6]
 
=== [[Kāpiti Coast Three-Man Competition]] ===
 
* '''Period documented:''' Around 2000-2001
* '''Location:''' Kāpiti Coast
* '''Format:''' Three-player competition
 
A Kāpiti Coast three-player tournament was mentioned by the creator of the Valhalla national rankings system when discussing the difficulty of comparing regional and national tournament results.
 
The precise date, venue and individual event results require further verification. [23]
 
=== [[Auckland Paintball Cup]] ===
 
* '''Years documented:''' 2015-2016
* '''Location:''' [[Asylum Paintball]], Auckland
* '''Format:''' X-Ball
 
The Auckland Paintball Cup was hosted at Asylum Paintball.
 
PBLeagues records identify an [[Auckland Paintball Cup 2015]] event on 7-8 March and an [[Auckland Paintball Cup 2016]] competition on 16-17 April.
 
The 2016 tournament included Division 2 X-Ball and attracted international participation.
 
Teams included [[ADHD (paintball team)|ADHD]].
 
The precise relationship between these competitions and other Asylum-hosted cup events requires further documentation. [24]
 
=== [[Asylum Paintball Cup]] ===
 
* '''Year documented:''' 2015
* '''Location:''' [[Asylum Paintball]], Auckland
* '''Format:''' Open X-Ball
 
The [[Asylum Paintball Cup 2015]] was held on 26-27 September.
 
Registered competitors included New Zealand teams and [[Phoenix Tahiti]] from French Polynesia.
 
The event is recorded separately from the Auckland Paintball Cup in PBLeagues tournament histories. [24]
 
=== [[International Pacific Championship]] ===
 
* '''Year documented:''' 2014
* '''Location:''' [[Asylum Paintball]], Auckland
* '''Organiser:''' [[New Zealand Paintball Players League]]
* '''Format:''' X-Ball
 
The [[2014 International Pacific Championship]] was the final event of the 2014 NZPPL calendar.
 
It took place on 25-26 October 2014.
 
The Division 1 competition featured eight teams from New Zealand, Australia and French Polynesia.
 
The final standings were:
 
# [[Team Trauma (New Zealand)|Trauma]], New Zealand
# [[Legacy NZ]], New Zealand
# [[Kamikaze Knights]], New Zealand
# [[Phoenix Tahiti]], French Polynesia
# [[South East Cartel]], Australia
# [[Low Gear]], New Zealand
# [[Mischief Militia]], New Zealand
# [[CamoMeat]], New Zealand
 
The tournament demonstrated the role of New Zealand events in regional Pacific tournament competition. [9]
 
=== [[Bay of Plenty Paintball Triples]] ===
 
* '''Year documented:''' 2026
* '''Location:''' TECT Park, Bay of Plenty
* '''Organiser:''' [[Bay of Plenty Paintball Club]]
* '''Format:''' Three-player speedball
 
The Bay of Plenty Paintball Club hosted a regional Paintball Triples tournament scheduled for 7 June 2026 at TECT Park.
 
The event marked the return of the regional competition following a hiatus of several years.
 
Club president Phil Stokes described the tournament as competitive speedball rather than recreational bush paintball.
 
Teams were expected from Auckland, Waikato, Hawke's Bay, Manawatū and Bay of Plenty. [13]
 
== Other historical paintball events ==
 
New Zealand has also hosted recreational big games and scenario events distinct from the conventional tournament circuit.
 
Historical examples include:
 
* [[VADER (paintball event)|VADER]], Christchurch
* [[Bethells Revolution]], Auckland
* [[Fantasyland (paintball event)|Fantasyland]], Hawke's Bay
 
These events were primarily large recreational games rather than structured tournament competitions.
 
The Mercenaries Star archive reported that Fantasyland developed into the [[Hawke's Bay Triples]] competition.
 
It also reported that VADER 1999 was cancelled because of insufficient interest. [1]


== Tournament formats ==
== Tournament formats ==
Line 520: Line 314:
=== Three-player competition ===
=== Three-player competition ===


Three-player competitions, commonly known as three-man tournaments or triples, have been used at regional events since at least the late 1990s.
Three-player tournaments have formed part of New Zealand competitive paintball since at least 1994.
 
Historical examples include the Invercargill Three-Man Tournament, [[Hawke's Bay Triples]] and [[National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition]].


Examples include the [[Hawke's Bay Triples]], [[National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition]], [[Indoor Three-Man Open Competition]], [[Combat Zone Three-Man Tournament]], [[Asylum Three-Man Tournament Series]] and [[Bay of Plenty Paintball Triples]].
Later three-player competitions included Christchurch tournaments, the East Coast Paintball League and regional events in the Bay of Plenty and Canterbury.


=== Five-player competition ===
=== Five-player competition ===


Five-player centre-flag competition was widespread during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Five-player paintball was used extensively during the 1990s and 2000s, including at the Nationals, Northland Open and Super 5s.
 
Events using this format included the [[South Pacific Championships]], [[Wellington Cup]] and [[Dunedin City Challenge]].


Modern five-player competitive paintball has increasingly incorporated X-Ball race formats.
Earlier competitions generally used centre-flag or two-flag formats. Later five-player competition increasingly adopted X-Ball and race-to rules.


=== Seven-player competition ===
=== Seven-player competition ===


Seven-player tournaments were prominent in New Zealand during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Seven-player tournaments were prominent during the 1990s and early 2000s, including the 1995 Nationals, South Pacific Championships, Queen's Birthday Superball and Volcanic Rotorua competitions.


Events included the [[New Zealand Nationals]], [[Northland Open]] and [[Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament]].
Organisers used international tournament rules with local amendments.


=== X-Ball and race formats ===
=== X-Ball and race formats ===


X-Ball and race-to competition became prominent in later New Zealand tournament leagues.
During the late 2000s and 2010s, organisers increasingly adopted formats based on timed matches, multiple points and race-to scoring.


Unlike traditional single-game elimination formats, race events involve multiple points and defined match periods.
The New Zealand Premier Paintball League promoted five-player X-Ball by 2006, while later NZPPL, SAPC, NZLS and Arena competitions used variations of race-format play.


The [[New Zealand Paintball Players League]], [[South Auckland Paintball Club Race Series]] and [[New Zealand Race Series]] have used variations of these formats.
Mechanical-marker, pump and limited-paint competitions also provided alternative formats.


== Historical documentation ==
== Historical documentation ==


The history of New Zealand tournament paintball is incompletely documented.
New Zealand's tournament history is preserved across several different types of sources.


The primary surviving sources include historical field websites, contemporary player archives, tournament score sheets, PBLeagues records, newspaper reports and club publications.
Contemporary tournament reports appeared in publications including ''Australian Paintballer'', while [[Paintball.co.nz]] and [[Mercenaries Star]] maintained results, calendars and player information during the late 1990s and early 2000s.


The [[Mercenaries Star]] archive is particularly valuable for the 1997-2001 period. Its Valhalla database preserves national rankings and results from tournaments whose original event websites no longer exist.
The former NZ Paintball Message Boards and NZ P8NT forums documented events during the 2000s, although surviving archived threads are incomplete.


For the 2010s, [[PBLeagues]] provides documented tournament dates, divisions, team participation and season standings.
For the 2010s, [[PBLeagues]] provides tournament dates, registrations, results and season rankings. More recent information is also preserved in official organiser announcements, photographs, live streams and social media posts.


Information about several competitions from approximately 2002 to 2012 remains incomplete, particularly smaller regional events and competitions organised through now-defunct websites or online communities.
The available evidence varies considerably between events. Tournament announcements establish intended dates and formats but do not necessarily prove that an event took place. Registration lists do not establish attendance or final placings, while national ranking points should not be confused with individual tournament championship results.


An event's appearance on a historical calendar does not necessarily establish that every advertised edition took place. Similarly, a tournament's documented presence in two different years does not establish continuous operation between those years.
Records before 1994 remain incomplete, and the earliest documented tournament should not be assumed to represent the beginning of organised paintball competition in New Zealand.


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 565: Line 359:
* [[Paintball teams in New Zealand]]
* [[Paintball teams in New Zealand]]
* [[Paintball fields in New Zealand]]
* [[Paintball fields in New Zealand]]
* [[New Zealand National Paintball League]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Nationals]]
* [[National Paintball League (New Zealand)]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Players League]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Players League]]
* [[South Auckland Paintball Club]]
* [[New Zealand Race Series]]
* [[New Zealand Paintball Federation]]
* [[Mercenaries Star]]
* [[Asylum Paintball]]
* [[Valhalla (paintball rankings)|Valhalla]]
* [[Actions Paintball]]
* [[Australian Paintballer]]
* [[Arena Paintball]]
* [[Ashburton Paintball League]]


== References ==
== References ==


# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Calendar/MS_Calendar.html Mercenaries Star, Annual Tournament Events and New Zealand Paintball Series.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/1994_Invercargill_Three-Man_Tournament 1994 Invercargill Three-Man Tournament]. WikiPaintball; based on Ken Ryder, "Invercargill 3-man Results", NZ Paintball Online, June 1998.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Rules/Leagues/NPLIntro.htm Mercenaries Star, The Rise and Fall of the New Zealand National Paintball League.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/1994_South_Pacific_Championships 1994 South Pacific Championships]. WikiPaintball; based on correspondence by Tony Witheridge, ''Australian Paintballer'', June-July 1995, p. 23.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Rules/Leagues/NPLLetter.htm Ian Southern, New Zealand National Paintball League introductory letter, December 1996.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/1995_South_Pacific_Championships 1995 South Pacific Championships]. WikiPaintball; based on Peter Russell, "Sydney HEAT make friends in high places", ''Australian Paintballer'', June-July 1995, p. 9.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/VRT.htm Mercenaries Star, Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament announcement, 2001.]
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Rules/Leagues/NPLIntro.htm The Rise and Fall of the New Zealand National Paintball League]. Mercenaries Star, historical league account.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2001Hall.htm Mercenaries Star, Valhalla 2001 National Rankings and Tournament Results.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/National_Paintball_League_(New_Zealand) National Paintball League (New Zealand)]. WikiPaintball; history based on the league's original introductory letter and contemporary records.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2000Hall.htm Mercenaries Star, Valhalla 2000 Rankings.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/East_Coast_Paintball_League East Coast Paintball League]. WikiPaintball; based on league announcements and contemporary results, 2020-2022.
# [https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1403/S00280/blacksheep-media-release-2013-nzppl-video.htm Blacksheep Communications, 2013 NZPPL Finals Video, Scoop, 16 March 2014.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/New_Zealand_Race_Series New Zealand Race Series]. WikiPaintball; historical event calendars, standings and tournament reports.
# [https://pbleagues.com/leagues/267 PBLeagues, New Zealand Paintball Players League.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/1995_New_Zealand_Paintball_Nationals 1995 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]. WikiPaintball; based on Cameron McLeay, "The New Zealand Nationals", ''Australian Paintballer'', December 1995-February 1996, p. 63.
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/267/seasonRankings/2014 PBLeagues, NZPPL 2014 Season Rankings.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/1995_South_Island_Championships 1995 South Island Championships]. WikiPaintball; based on "Flashpoint cleans up", ''Australian Paintballer'', April-June 1996, p. 13.
# [https://paintballdirectnz.co.nz/2026-race-events/ Paintball Direct NZ, Arena Paintball 2026 Race Events.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/New_Zealand_Paintball_Nationals New Zealand Paintball Nationals]. WikiPaintball; championship history compiled from contemporary reports by Rob Maddox and historical tournament records.
# [https://allevents.in/drury/3-man-tournament-series-event-4/200028624044252 Asylum Paintball, Three-Man Tournament Series Event Four, September 2025.]
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Calendar/MS_Calendar.html Annual Tournament Events and New Zealand Paintball Series]. Mercenaries Star, historical tournament calendar.
# [https://ashburtonpaintball.co.nz/apl/ Ashburton Paintball, Ashburton Paintball League.]
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2000Hall.htm Valhalla 2000 National Rankings]. Mercenaries Star, 2000.
# [https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/381863-paintball-players-set-to-battle-at-tect-park.html SunLive, Paintball Players Set to Battle at TECT Park, 6 June 2026.]
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/2001Hall.htm Valhalla 2001 National Rankings]. Mercenaries Star, October 2001.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/RIIndex.htm Russell Clement, Rotorua Invitational Paintball Days, Mercenaries Star.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/Rotorua_Invitational Rotorua Invitational]. WikiPaintball; based on Russell Clement's historical tournament account.
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/262/seasonRankings/2014 PBLeagues, South Auckland Paintball Club 2014 Season Rankings.]
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/VRT.htm Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament]. Mercenaries Star, original 2001 tournament announcement.
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/3574/info PBLeagues, SAPC July 2014 Race Event.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/South_Pacific_Championships South Pacific Championships]. WikiPaintball; historical competition reports and results.
# [https://www.facebook.com/phoenixauthority/photos/1074364816831248/ Phoenix Tahiti Paintball, 2023 New Zealand Race Series.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2003_Super_5s_(New_Zealand) 2003 Super 5s]. WikiPaintball; based on NZ Paintball Online, June 2003, and archived contemporary results.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Links/TagNRelease.htm Mercenaries Star, Tag n' Release Team History and Tournament Results.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2003_Auckland_Queen%E2%80%99s_Birthday_Superball 2003 Auckland Queen's Birthday Superball]. WikiPaintball; based on Rob Maddox's contemporary tournament report, June 2003.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/NorthlandOpen.htm Mercenaries Star, 2001 Northland Open.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2006_Super_5s_(New_Zealand) 2006 Super 5s]. WikiPaintball; based on NZ Paintball Message Forum results posted 4 December 2006.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/SouthPac.htm Mercenaries Star, 2001 South Pacific Championships.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2007_Super_5s_(New_Zealand) 2007 Super 5s]. WikiPaintball; archived event announcements and results.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/HB3M.htm Mercenaries Star, 2001 Hawke's Bay Triples Competition.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/New_Zealand_Premier_Paintball_League New Zealand Premier Paintball League]. WikiPaintball; archived XPS and NZPPL records, 2006-2007.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/Events/DCC5M.htm Mercenaries Star, Dunedin City Challenge.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2007_New_Zealand_Paintball_Nationals 2007 New Zealand Paintball Nationals]. WikiPaintball; contemporary tournament reports and results.
# [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/VALHALLA/RankIndex.htm Mercenaries Star, Valhalla Rankings Methodology.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2008_Western_Springs_Open 2008 Western Springs Open]. WikiPaintball; contemporary organiser results and match reporting.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/OsP8T5RKxmUCKT9A PBLeagues, ADHD Team Tournament History.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2008_Christchurch_Three-Man_Tournament 2008 Christchurch Three-Man Tournament]. WikiPaintball; archived NZ P8NT announcements and event discussion.
# [https://www.odt.co.nz/canterbury/mid-canterbury/fast-paced-paintball-tournament-at-lake-hood-xa1ml9tk Otago Daily Times, Fast-paced paintball tournament at Lake Hood, 23 April 2026.]
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2010_Greater_Auckland_Open 2010 Greater Auckland Open]. WikiPaintball; contemporary tournament reports and DerDer video archive.
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/New_Zealand_Paintball_Players_League New Zealand Paintball Players League]. WikiPaintball; league history and tournament records, 2011-2014.
# [https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1403/S00280/blacksheep-media-release-2013-nzppl-video.htm Blacksheep Communications, 2013 NZPPL Finals Video]. ''Scoop'', 16 March 2014.
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/267/seasonRankings/2014 New Zealand Paintball Players League 2014 Season Rankings]. PBLeagues.
# [https://pbleagues.com/league/262/seasonRankings/2014 South Auckland Paintball Club 2014 Season Rankings]. PBLeagues.
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2018_NZLS_Final_Round 2018 NZLS Final Round]. WikiPaintball; Bay of Plenty Paintball Club contemporary tournament report.
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2019_NZLS_H%C4%81wera_Event 2019 NZLS Hāwera Event]. WikiPaintball; Ballistics Unit contemporary report, 27 October 2019.
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2022_East_Coast_Paintball_League 2022 East Coast Paintball League]. WikiPaintball; original league calendar and rules announcement, January 2022.
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2020_New_Zealand_Race_Series_Event_1 2020 New Zealand Race Series Event 1]. WikiPaintball; contemporary Ballistics Unit and Victoria Kate Photography reports, March 2020.
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/7237 Paintball Factory Cup, April 2021]. PBLeagues, official event information and registration data.
# [https://pbleagues.com/event/7390 Corkill Cup, October 2021]. PBLeagues, official event information and registration data.
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2022_Arena_5_Man_Race_Series 2022 Arena 5 Man Race Series]. WikiPaintball; Arena Paintball published competition calendar.
# [https://www.paintballdirectnz.co.nz/2026-race-events/ Arena Paintball 2026 Race Events]. Paintball Direct NZ, official tournament programme.
# [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/2026_Arena_Paintball_Labour_Day_Cup 2026 Arena Paintball Labour Day Cup]. WikiPaintball; tournament records and final placings reported by Ralph Tsing in October 2026.
# [https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/381863-paintball-players-set-to-battle-at-tect-park.html Paintball Players Set to Battle at TECT Park]. Rosalie Liddle Crawford, ''SunLive'', 6 June 2026.
# [https://ashburtonpaintball.co.nz/apl/ Ashburton Paintball League]. Ashburton Paintball, official competition programme.


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


* [https://www.wikipaintball.com/index.php/Category:Paintball_tournaments_in_New_Zealand WikiPaintball New Zealand tournament archive]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/ Mercenaries Star historical archive]
* [https://www.oocities.org/mercstar_nz/ Mercenaries Star historical archive]
* [https://pbleagues.com/ PBLeagues]
* [https://pbleagues.com/ PBLeagues]

Latest revision as of 06:51, 27 October 2026

Paintball tournaments in New Zealand have been documented since at least 1994, with organised competition taking place across both the North and South Islands. Tournaments have included national championships, regional cups, three-player and five-player competitions, seven-player tournaments, mechanical-marker events and X-Ball leagues.[1][2][3]

New Zealand tournament paintball has developed through independently organised events, commercial playing fields, regional clubs and national competition series. Major historical competitions have included the New Zealand Paintball Nationals, South Pacific Championships, Northland Open, Super 5s and Hawke's Bay Triples.

The National Paintball League (NPL), established in 1997, was an early attempt to coordinate existing tournaments within a national competition structure. Later organisers included the New Zealand Premier Paintball League, New Zealand Paintball Players League, South Auckland Paintball Club and the New Zealand Local Series (NZLS).[4][5]

During the 2020s, documented competitions included the East Coast Paintball League, New Zealand Race Series at Arena Paintball in Feilding and regional tournaments organised by paintball clubs and commercial venues.[6][7]

History

[edit]

Early documented tournaments, 1994-1996

[edit]

Tournament paintball was established in New Zealand before the creation of a national league in 1997.

One of the earliest dated records concerns the inaugural Invercargill three-player competition in 1994. In a retrospective published in June 1998, organiser Ken Ryder recalled that four teams entered the first tournament, which was won by the Invercargill team S.L.O.B.s (Slow Old Bastards).[1]

A planned 1994 edition of the South Pacific Championships in Wellington was cancelled because of insufficient entries. Contemporary correspondence published in Australian Paintballer discussed the cost of entering the competition as a contributing factor.[2]

The South Pacific Championships took place in Wellington over Easter 1995. Saints won the event, with Sydney HEAT of Australia finishing second.[3]

The 1995 New Zealand Paintball Nationals was held on 21-22 October at Tactics in Bethells Beach, Auckland. Six teams competed in a seven-player tournament. Saints won with 910 points, followed by X-Men with 683 and Katipo, recorded as Katapo in the contemporary report, with 628. The results were published by Cameron McLeay in Australian Paintballer.[8]

In the South Island, the 1995 South Island Championships was held in Dunedin. The competition included open-class and pump-action events, both won by Flashpoint. A contemporary report appeared in the April-June 1996 issue of Australian Paintballer.[9]

The surviving evidence establishes organised tournament activity by 1994 but does not identify New Zealand's first tournament or confirm a complete national calendar for the preceding decade.

National Paintball League, 1997-1999

[edit]

The original National Paintball League began operating in 1997 following an introductory letter circulated in December 1996.

The league was developed by Ian Southern and Dave Pellet, associated with Splatman Paintball. Its initial participating operators were Splatman, Strategy Tag in Whangārei and Actions Paintball Sports Arena in Auckland.[4]

The NPL established two divisions. First Division incorporated major tournaments, including the Nationals, Queen's Birthday competition and Northland Open. Second Division provided more regular competition for developing teams at participating fields.

The 1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals took place on 25-26 October at Actions Paintball in Te Atatū, Auckland. Eleven teams competed in a five-player centre-flag format. Katipo One won the tournament with 1,008 points, followed by Saints Black. Kamo Karzi won Second Division and finished third overall.[10]

The Nationals continued in 1998 and 1999, with Saints Gold winning in 1998 and Paint Contractors in 1999.[10]

The original NPL structure ended in 1999 after losing the support of participating field operators. Kyn Jackson of Actions Paintball continued elements of its tournament organisation without the original Second Division programme.[4]

Regional tournaments and national rankings, 2000-2002

[edit]

By 2000, tournaments were documented in Auckland, Whangārei, Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Rotorua, Dunedin and Invercargill.

The Mercenaries Star archive records events including the Northland Open, Wellington Cup, Hawke's Bay Triples, Dunedin City Challenge, South Pacific Championships and National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition.[11]

The archive also maintained the Valhalla national rankings database, which combined tournament results across different competitions.

Saints Gold led the inaugural 2000 Valhalla rankings. In 2001, the rankings named Saints as the seven-player national ranking champion, Tag n' Release as the five-player champion and DamNatives as the three-player champion.[12][13]

These were composite rankings rather than the results of a single national championship.

Rotorua hosted two distinct tournaments during this period. The Rotorua Invitational began on 3 December 2000 at Blue Lake Reserve, with Katipo winning the inaugural event. The Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament was separately advertised for 2-3 June 2001 at Rotorua International Stadium, using seven-player, two-flag rules and inflatable tournament bunkers.[14][15]

The South Pacific Championships continued in the Wellington region. The 2002 edition was a seven-player competition won by Saints, with Tag and Training second and Tag n' Release third.[16]

Super 5s and regional expansion, 2003-2007

[edit]

The early 2000s saw continued development of regular five-player speedball competition alongside independent seven-player tournaments.

The Super 5s was operating by 2003 at Extreme Events in Auckland. Its first half of the 2003 season comprised rounds from February through June, with Menace leading the published standings on 3,043 points.[17]

The same venue hosted the 2003 Auckland Queen's Birthday Superball, a separate seven-player tournament organised by Wayne Rolleston. Twelve teams competed, with Phoenix winning ahead of Raiders, Saints and Bad Karma.[18]

The Super 5s subsequently operated at Kumeu and other Auckland venues.

The 2006 season used two divisions. Menace won Division 1 with 8,688 championship points, while Legion won Division 2 with 5,512 points.[19]

In 2007, the Super 5s held early rounds at A Paintball Adventure in Papakura before announcing a move to Actions Paintball in Swanson for the final part of the season. Legion and Menace were among the leading teams during the documented rounds.[20]

A separate organisation, the New Zealand Premier Paintball League, promoted XPS tournaments during 2006-2007, including three-player, five-player X-Ball and seven-player formats.[21]

The 2007 New Zealand Paintball Nationals took place at Actions Paintball in Swanson on 20-21 October. Menace won, defeating Muppets Inc in the final. Fusion finished third and Intense fourth.[22]

Regional competition, 2008-2010

[edit]

Independent tournaments continued alongside national and regional series.

The 2008 Western Springs Open was held at Western Springs Stadium in Auckland on 25-26 October. Nine teams competed in five-player paintball, with Flashpoint defeating Blast 2-1 in the final.[23]

Christchurch also hosted a three-player tournament on 2-3 February 2008, documented through contemporary NZ P8NT forum announcements and post-event discussion.[24]

Other documented competitions during this period included tournaments in Hamilton, Tauranga, Whanganui, Palmerston North and Hawke's Bay.

On 20-21 November 2010, the 2010 Greater Auckland Open was held at North Shore Paintball. Eight teams competed in a race-to-three format. SCK won, with Clown Monkeys finishing second. The tournament was filmed by DerDer, whose archived video listings preserve several matches.[25]

New Zealand Paintball Players League, 2011-2014

[edit]

The New Zealand Paintball Players League (NZPPL) organised tournament competition during the early 2010s. Jason Newport identified 2010 as the year he established the league.[26]

The later NZPPL should be distinguished from the New Zealand Premier Paintball League active during 2006-2007. Both organisations used the NZPPL abbreviation and nzppl.com domain, but their formal organisational relationship has not been established.[21][26]

The Players League organised events in Horowhenua, Rotorua, Auckland and the Kāpiti Coast.

The 2011 programme included tournaments at Tatum Park near Levin, Lakes Ranch near Rotorua and Waikanae.[26]

In 2013, the NZPPL held a three-round Super 5 Man series. X-Fighter$ won the opening event at Waikanae and X-Fighter$ Fracture won the second event at Paraparaumu.

The final tournament, promoted as the 2013 NZPPL Nationals, took place at Asylum Paintball in Kingseat on 26-27 October. KC Damage won the event ahead of Wellington Vendetta and X-Fighter$ Fracture. X-Fighter$ won the overall 2013 series championship.[27]

The 2014 NZPPL International Pacific Championship was held at Asylum Paintball on 25-26 October 2014. Eight teams from New Zealand, Australia and French Polynesia competed in Division 1 X-Ball.

Trauma won the championship, defeating Legacy NZ 4-1 in the final. Kamikaze Knights finished third, while Phoenix Tahiti placed fourth.[28]

South Auckland Paintball Club Race Series

[edit]

The South Auckland Paintball Club (SAPC) operated a separate series at Asylum Paintball during 2014 and 2015.

The 2014 competition comprised four rounds in February, May, July and September. It included Open X-Ball and mechanical pump divisions.

ADHD won all four Open X-Ball rounds and the season championship with 400 ranking points. Disposal Unit finished second with 314.5 points, followed by Tempest with 229.[29]

The mechanical competition operated separately, with ADHD RED winning the 2014 Mechanical Pump Division 4 season standings.[29]

SAPC continued organising documented race-format tournaments in 2015.

New Zealand Local Series, 2016-2019

[edit]

The New Zealand Local Series (NZLS) operated regional tournament rounds during the second half of the 2010s.

Surviving records document events in Hāwera, Palmerston North and Auckland between 2016 and 2019.

The 2017 final round was held at Lock N Load Adventures, while the 2018 final round took place at Asylum Paintball. A contemporary Bay of Plenty Paintball Club report recorded its leading team finishing second at the 2018 final and second overall in the North Island series.[30]

In October 2019, Ballistics Unit reported winning the NZLS season championship with one round remaining after competing at Hāwera. The result is documented in the team's contemporary report.[31]

East Coast Paintball League, 2020-2022

[edit]

The East Coast Paintball League (ECPL) was established in 2020 to encourage regional competition in the upper North Island.

Its opening tournament took place on 23 February 2020 at Bay of Plenty Paintball Club's field at TECT All Terrain Park. Surge won the event, followed by The Ponies in the opening-round championship standings.[6]

The league continued to publish tournament schedules during 2020 and 2021. Its 2022 programme advertised four rounds of three-player X-Ball with seven-minute games and limited paint allowances.[32]

The ECPL programme provided an alternative to larger five-player race competitions, with an emphasis on regional participation and developing players.

New Zealand Race Series and Arena Paintball

[edit]

Arena Paintball in Feilding became an important venue for five-player race-format competition.

The opening 2020 New Zealand Race Series Event 1 took place in March 2020. Expendables won, followed by Ballistics Unit and The Replacements.[33]

PBLeagues subsequently recorded the 2021 Paintball Factory Cup on 24-25 April and 2021 Corkill Cup on 23-24 October at Arena Paintball. The registration database lists eight teams for the Paintball Factory Cup and five for the Corkill Cup, but the recovered records do not establish their final standings.[34][35]

A three-round Arena five-player race competition was advertised for 2022, with events in April, June and October.[36]

The series continued through the following seasons, attracting teams from New Zealand and overseas, including Australia and French Polynesia.

The 2023 series championship was won by Expendables.[7]

Arena Paintball advertised three tournament weekends in each of 2024 and 2025, continuing the race-to format with round-robin competition followed by Cup and Plate finals.[7]

Competition in 2026

[edit]

Arena Paintball's 2026 calendar scheduled three race-format tournaments:

The events used five-player teams, ten-minute matches and a four-point mercy rule, with restrictions on paint carried by each player.[37]

The October Labour Day Cup attracted eleven entries representing ten teams, with Ballistics Unit entering two squads. A post-tournament report attributed to Ralph Tsing recorded Ballistics Unit in first place, Manawatu Titans second and Cult third. The available report does not establish which Ballistics Unit squad won.[38]

Regional competitions also continued. Bay of Plenty Paintball Club advertised a return of its Bay of Plenty Paintball Triples at TECT Park for 7 June 2026, with teams expected from several North Island regions.[39]

In Canterbury, the Ashburton Paintball League advertised a six-round three-player competition for the 2026-2027 season.[40]

Major tournament series

[edit]

The following table summarises selected national and regional competition structures. The years indicate documented activity, not necessarily uninterrupted operation throughout every intervening season.

Organisation or series Documented period Principal region or venue Format
National Paintball League 1997-1999 Auckland and Northland First and Second Division tournaments
Super 5s 2003-2007 Auckland Five-player speedball
New Zealand Premier Paintball League 2006-2007 New Zealand XPS three-player, five-player and seven-player competitions
New Zealand Paintball Players League 2011-2014 Auckland, Horowhenua, Rotorua and Kāpiti Coast Five-player and X-Ball
South Auckland Paintball Club 2014-2015 Asylum Paintball, Auckland Open X-Ball and mechanical-marker competition
New Zealand Local Series 2016-2019 Multiple North Island venues Regional speedball
East Coast Paintball League 2020-2022 Bay of Plenty Three-player X-Ball
New Zealand Race Series 2020; 2022-2026 Arena Paintball, Feilding Five-player race-format X-Ball

Selected tournament and championship results

[edit]

The following results illustrate the documented competitive history of New Zealand tournament paintball. The table is selective and does not constitute a complete national championship register.

Year Tournament or championship Winning team Notes
1994 1994 Invercargill Three-Man Tournament S.L.O.B.s Inaugural tournament; four teams.[1]
1995 1995 South Pacific Championships Saints Sydney HEAT second.[3]
1995 1995 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Saints Seven-player tournament at Bethells Beach.[8]
1997 1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Katipo One Overall winner; five-player format.[10]
2002 2002 South Pacific Championships Saints Seven-player competition.[16]
2003 2003 Auckland Queen's Birthday Superball Phoenix Raiders second.[18]
2006 Super 5s Menace Division 1 season championship.[19]
2006 Super 5s Legion Division 2 season championship.[19]
2007 2007 New Zealand Paintball Nationals Menace Muppets Inc second.[22]
2008 2008 Western Springs Open Flashpoint Defeated Blast 2-1.[23]
2010 2010 Greater Auckland Open SCK Clown Monkeys second.[25]
2013 NZPPL Super 5 Man Series X-Fighter$ Overall series championship.[27]
2014 2014 NZPPL International Pacific Championship Trauma Defeated Legacy NZ 4-1.[28]
2014 SAPC Open X-Ball ADHD Won all four rounds.[29]
2020 2020 New Zealand Race Series Event 1 Expendables Ballistics Unit second.[33]
2026 2026 Arena Paintball Labour Day Cup Ballistics Unit Reported placing; winning squad not identified.[38]

Tournament formats

[edit]

Three-player competition

[edit]

Three-player tournaments have formed part of New Zealand competitive paintball since at least 1994.

Historical examples include the Invercargill Three-Man Tournament, Hawke's Bay Triples and National Three-Man Centre Flag Competition.

Later three-player competitions included Christchurch tournaments, the East Coast Paintball League and regional events in the Bay of Plenty and Canterbury.

Five-player competition

[edit]

Five-player paintball was used extensively during the 1990s and 2000s, including at the Nationals, Northland Open and Super 5s.

Earlier competitions generally used centre-flag or two-flag formats. Later five-player competition increasingly adopted X-Ball and race-to rules.

Seven-player competition

[edit]

Seven-player tournaments were prominent during the 1990s and early 2000s, including the 1995 Nationals, South Pacific Championships, Queen's Birthday Superball and Volcanic Rotorua competitions.

Organisers used international tournament rules with local amendments.

X-Ball and race formats

[edit]

During the late 2000s and 2010s, organisers increasingly adopted formats based on timed matches, multiple points and race-to scoring.

The New Zealand Premier Paintball League promoted five-player X-Ball by 2006, while later NZPPL, SAPC, NZLS and Arena competitions used variations of race-format play.

Mechanical-marker, pump and limited-paint competitions also provided alternative formats.

Historical documentation

[edit]

New Zealand's tournament history is preserved across several different types of sources.

Contemporary tournament reports appeared in publications including Australian Paintballer, while Paintball.co.nz and Mercenaries Star maintained results, calendars and player information during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The former NZ Paintball Message Boards and NZ P8NT forums documented events during the 2000s, although surviving archived threads are incomplete.

For the 2010s, PBLeagues provides tournament dates, registrations, results and season rankings. More recent information is also preserved in official organiser announcements, photographs, live streams and social media posts.

The available evidence varies considerably between events. Tournament announcements establish intended dates and formats but do not necessarily prove that an event took place. Registration lists do not establish attendance or final placings, while national ranking points should not be confused with individual tournament championship results.

Records before 1994 remain incomplete, and the earliest documented tournament should not be assumed to represent the beginning of organised paintball competition in New Zealand.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1994 Invercargill Three-Man Tournament. WikiPaintball; based on Ken Ryder, "Invercargill 3-man Results", NZ Paintball Online, June 1998.
  2. 1994 South Pacific Championships. WikiPaintball; based on correspondence by Tony Witheridge, Australian Paintballer, June-July 1995, p. 23.
  3. 1995 South Pacific Championships. WikiPaintball; based on Peter Russell, "Sydney HEAT make friends in high places", Australian Paintballer, June-July 1995, p. 9.
  4. The Rise and Fall of the New Zealand National Paintball League. Mercenaries Star, historical league account.
  5. National Paintball League (New Zealand). WikiPaintball; history based on the league's original introductory letter and contemporary records.
  6. East Coast Paintball League. WikiPaintball; based on league announcements and contemporary results, 2020-2022.
  7. New Zealand Race Series. WikiPaintball; historical event calendars, standings and tournament reports.
  8. 1995 New Zealand Paintball Nationals. WikiPaintball; based on Cameron McLeay, "The New Zealand Nationals", Australian Paintballer, December 1995-February 1996, p. 63.
  9. 1995 South Island Championships. WikiPaintball; based on "Flashpoint cleans up", Australian Paintballer, April-June 1996, p. 13.
  10. New Zealand Paintball Nationals. WikiPaintball; championship history compiled from contemporary reports by Rob Maddox and historical tournament records.
  11. Annual Tournament Events and New Zealand Paintball Series. Mercenaries Star, historical tournament calendar.
  12. Valhalla 2000 National Rankings. Mercenaries Star, 2000.
  13. Valhalla 2001 National Rankings. Mercenaries Star, October 2001.
  14. Rotorua Invitational. WikiPaintball; based on Russell Clement's historical tournament account.
  15. Volcanic Rotorua Paintball Tournament. Mercenaries Star, original 2001 tournament announcement.
  16. South Pacific Championships. WikiPaintball; historical competition reports and results.
  17. 2003 Super 5s. WikiPaintball; based on NZ Paintball Online, June 2003, and archived contemporary results.
  18. 2003 Auckland Queen's Birthday Superball. WikiPaintball; based on Rob Maddox's contemporary tournament report, June 2003.
  19. 2006 Super 5s. WikiPaintball; based on NZ Paintball Message Forum results posted 4 December 2006.
  20. 2007 Super 5s. WikiPaintball; archived event announcements and results.
  21. New Zealand Premier Paintball League. WikiPaintball; archived XPS and NZPPL records, 2006-2007.
  22. 2007 New Zealand Paintball Nationals. WikiPaintball; contemporary tournament reports and results.
  23. 2008 Western Springs Open. WikiPaintball; contemporary organiser results and match reporting.
  24. 2008 Christchurch Three-Man Tournament. WikiPaintball; archived NZ P8NT announcements and event discussion.
  25. 2010 Greater Auckland Open. WikiPaintball; contemporary tournament reports and DerDer video archive.
  26. New Zealand Paintball Players League. WikiPaintball; league history and tournament records, 2011-2014.
  27. Blacksheep Communications, 2013 NZPPL Finals Video. Scoop, 16 March 2014.
  28. New Zealand Paintball Players League 2014 Season Rankings. PBLeagues.
  29. South Auckland Paintball Club 2014 Season Rankings. PBLeagues.
  30. 2018 NZLS Final Round. WikiPaintball; Bay of Plenty Paintball Club contemporary tournament report.
  31. 2019 NZLS Hāwera Event. WikiPaintball; Ballistics Unit contemporary report, 27 October 2019.
  32. 2022 East Coast Paintball League. WikiPaintball; original league calendar and rules announcement, January 2022.
  33. 2020 New Zealand Race Series Event 1. WikiPaintball; contemporary Ballistics Unit and Victoria Kate Photography reports, March 2020.
  34. Paintball Factory Cup, April 2021. PBLeagues, official event information and registration data.
  35. Corkill Cup, October 2021. PBLeagues, official event information and registration data.
  36. 2022 Arena 5 Man Race Series. WikiPaintball; Arena Paintball published competition calendar.
  37. Arena Paintball 2026 Race Events. Paintball Direct NZ, official tournament programme.
  38. 2026 Arena Paintball Labour Day Cup. WikiPaintball; tournament records and final placings reported by Ralph Tsing in October 2026.
  39. Paintball Players Set to Battle at TECT Park. Rosalie Liddle Crawford, SunLive, 6 June 2026.
  40. Ashburton Paintball League. Ashburton Paintball, official competition programme.
[edit]
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