Saints (New Zealand 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 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]

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 competed during the development of the original National Paintball League and the transition from five-man to seven-man tournament paintball in New Zealand.

History

Early development

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]

A published example specifically used Saints Gold, Black and Green to explain how results would be allocated when team names changed between events.

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.

Tournament results

1997 season

The 1997 season coincided with the establishment of the original National Paintball League.

Saints Black finished second in the retrospective Valhalla standings, recording 79 points.

Grey placed fifth with 71 points.[5]

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

The 1997 New Zealand Paintball Nationals took place on 25–26 October at Actions Paintball Sports Arena in Te Atatū, Auckland.

Eleven teams competed.

Saints Black finished second in the tournament, behind Katipo.

Position	Team	Tournament points
1	Katipo	1,008
2	Saints Black	866
3	Kamo Karzi	818

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.

Saints-associated squads in the 1998 Valhalla rankings

Squad	National ranking	Score
Saints Gold	1st	92.5
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.

Position	Team	Tournament points
1	Saints Gold	1,290
2	Paint Contractors	1,008
3	Saints Grey	970

The appearance of Saints Grey in the tournament results is consistent with the historical identification of Grey as a Saints-associated squad.

The Valhalla database nevertheless recorded Grey under its shorter independent entry name.

1999 season

Saints Gold retained first place in the 1999 Valhalla rankings.

The team recorded a score of 91.

Grey finished fourth with 77 points.[2]

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.

Saints Gold's result represented its second consecutive year as the Valhalla ranking leader.

2000 season

Saints Gold again finished at the top of Valhalla in 2000.

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.

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.

Saints Gold's first-place result represented a third consecutive year at the top of the published rankings.

2001 season

In 2001, Valhalla introduced separate rankings for seven-man, five-man and three-man competitions.

Saints Gold appeared prominently in all three categories.

The available standings were labelled October 2001.

Seven-man

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.

Saints Gold – 2001 seven-man results

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

The published seven-man ranking leaders were Saints Gold, Jetts and Katipo.

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

Five-man

Saints Gold also appeared in the 2001 five-man rankings.

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

The five-man rankings included the South Pacific Championships and Wellington Cup Five-Mans.

Position	Team	Total points
1	Tag n' Release	214.5
2	Saints Gold	211
3	House Steiner	93.4

Three-man

Saints Gold finished fourth in the 2001 three-man rankings, recording 152.5 cumulative points.

The leading entries were:

Position	Team	Total points
1	DamNatives Red	226.4
2	Insane	181.7
3	Tag n' Release GPS	159.3
4	Saints Gold	152.5

The three-man category included the Hawkes Bay Triples, Indoor Three-Man Open and Combat Zone competitions.

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

Saints-associated squads in Valhalla, 1997–2001

Year	Squad	Position	Score
1997	Saints Black	2nd	79
1997	Grey	5th	71
1998	Saints Gold	1st	92.5
1998	Grey	2nd	78
1998	Saints Black	5th	64
1999	Saints Gold	1st	91
1999	Grey	4th	77
2000	Saints Gold	1st	91
2000	Grey	Equal 2nd	82.5
2000	Saints Black	23rd	50
2001	Saints Gold – seven-man	1st	400.5
2001	Saints Gold – five-man	2nd	211
2001	Saints Gold – three-man	4th	152.5

The 2001 scores are cumulative tournament-round totals and cannot be compared directly with the ranking scores used in earlier seasons.

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.

Historical significance

Saints was one of New Zealand's most successful paintball teams during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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

• Valhalla National Rankings
• New Zealand Paintball Nationals
• National Paintball League (New Zealand)
• Northland Open
• Katipo Paintball Team
• Kamo Karzi
• Tag n' Release
• Mercenaries Star

References

1. Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 1998. Mercenaries Star. Lists Saints Gold first, Grey second and Saints Black fifth.
2. Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 1999. Mercenaries Star. Lists Saints Gold first and Grey fourth.
3. 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.
4. Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 2001. Mercenaries Star. Published seven-man, five-man and three-man rankings.
5. Valhalla Hall of Heroes – 1997. Mercenaries Star. Lists Saints Black second and Grey fifth.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Historical recollection supplied to WikiPaintball research, October 2026. Identifies Grey as the Saints-associated veteran squad comprising older players outside the main team.
9. NPPL Huntington Beach 2004. WARPIG, March 2004. Contemporary tournament reporting confirming the dates, location, format and artificial-turf playing surfaces.
10. 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. Historical Paintball.co.nz articles archive.

External links

• Saints in the 1997 national rankings
• Saints in the 1998 national rankings
• Saints in the 1999 national rankings
• Saints in the 2000 national rankings
• Saints in the 2001 rankings
• Original Valhalla ranking methodology