Team Insane
Team Insane, also known as Insane, was a New Zealand tournament paintball team based in Auckland. Contemporary records document appearances from 2000 through to the 2007 Super 5s, encompassing three-player, five-player and seven-player competition.[6][7][10]
Insane placed second in the three-player Valhalla National Rankings published in October 2001, with 181.7 ranking points.[2]
History
Origins and early competition
According to former member Michael Earley, Team Insane formed around 2000 from players associated with the South Auckland Miniature Wargames Club and Red Alert Paintball Club. Kevin Lunt served as its early captain.[4]
Rob Maddox’s contemporary report on the 2000 New Zealand Paintball Nationals described Insane as a new team assembled only days before the event from players around New Zealand. This describes the tournament squad’s assembly rather than establishing a formal founding date.[6]
Insane entered Division 2 and recorded 80 preliminary points. It did not appear among the four divisional finalists.[6]
On 1 December 2000, Team Insane competed at the 2000 Auckland Indoor 3-Man Open at Urban Combat in Pakuranga. It finished fourth among four teams with 15 points.[7]
Tournament competition in 2001
Insane competed at the 2001 Northland Open, held at Jubilee Park, Whangārei, on 25 February. It finished tenth among ten teams with 60 points.[8]
During 2001, the team competed in both seven-player and three-player formats. Its seven-player appearances recorded in the Valhalla standings included the Northland Open, RotoVegas and the New Zealand Paintball Nationals.[2]
Insane placed 21st among 23 entries in the seven-player standings published in October 2001, with 28.2 points.[2]
In three-player competition, Insane placed second with 181.7 points, behind DamNatives Red on 226.4. Its ranking contributions came from the Indoor Three-Man Open Competition and Combat Zone Three-Mans. A separate entry, Insane B, placed 24th with 28.3 points.[2]
Valhalla was an independent ranking system maintained by Mercenaries Star. These positions represent standings across contributing events rather than placings at an individual tournament.[3]
Kaos, 2002
Rob Maddox’s report on the 2002 Auckland 5-Man Tournament, held at Actions Paintball in Swanson on 26 October, identified one entry as “Kaos (ex-Insane)”. Kaos finished second among seven teams with 750 points.[9]
The report establishes a contemporary connection between that Kaos entry and Insane, but does not provide a complete roster or explain the organisational change.[9]
Later activity and X-Ball
Earley credits Jarrod Findlay and Tabitha Crump with continuing the Insane name beyond its early tournament appearances.[4]
In correspondence recorded in October 2026, Findlay recalled that the squad trained for X-Ball while also participating in seven-player capture-the-flag tournaments. He described helping to organise monthly X-Ball events at Actions Paintball and recalled Insane playing against Intense. The precise dates of these activities remain unresolved.[5]
Super 5s, 2007
Contemporary results confirm that Insane competed in the 2007 Super 5s. The team recorded 265 points in June and 60 in July.[10]
The published standings following the August round listed Insane seventh in Division 2 with 325 cumulative points. These were interim standings rather than a final season classification.[10]
A roster post dated 7 July 2007 named six Insane players.[10]
Players
Early and later membership recollections
Participant recollections identify the following members across the team’s history:[4][5]
- Kevin Lunt, early captain.
- Andy Lunt.
- Neil Morris.
- Vitaly Miheev.
- Francis Hambrook.
- Adam Hambrook.
- Michael Earley.
- Jarrod Findlay.
- Tabitha Crump.
These recollections describe historical membership rather than a confirmed roster for a particular tournament.
Published 2007 roster
The Super 5s roster post dated 7 July 2007 listed:[10]
- Jarrod Findlay.
- Tabitha Crump.
- Francis Hambrock.
- Gareth Appleby.
- Justin Spencer.
- Sam Houlihan.
The contemporary post uses the spelling “Francis Hambrock”, while the participant recollections use “Francis Hambrook”. The published list does not establish an unchanged line-up at every round.[4][10]
Recorded rankings
| Year | Ranking series | Entry | Position | Ranking points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Valhalla national rankings | Insane | Listed | 9[1] |
| 2001 | Valhalla seven-player rankings | Insane | 21st of 23 | 28.2[2] |
| 2001 | Valhalla three-player rankings | Insane | 2nd | 181.7[2] |
| 2001 | Valhalla three-player rankings | Insane B | 24th | 28.3[2] |
The 2001 figures reflect standings published in October. Valhalla ranking points are distinct from the raw scores recorded at individual tournaments.[2][3]
References
- 2000 Valhalla National Rankings. Mercenaries Star.
- 2001 Valhalla National Rankings. Mercenaries Star, October 2001.
- Valhalla National Team Rankings. Mercenaries Star, ranking methodology.
- Michael Earley, firsthand historical recollections supplied to WikiPaintball, October 2026, with clarification on 24 October 2026. Covers the team’s origins, early captaincy, membership and continuation under Jarrod Findlay and Tabitha Crump.
- Jarrod Findlay, personal correspondence with Michael Earley, excerpts supplied for historical research on 24 October 2026, with accompanying recollections by Earley. Covers membership, X-Ball training and events at Actions Paintball.
- Rob Maddox — The 2000 Two Day NZ Nationals Tournament, Paintball.co.nz.
- Kerry Munro — Indoor 3man Open Competition – Auckland, Paintball.co.nz, 1 December 2000.
- Rob Maddox — The 2001 Northland Paintball Open, Paintball.co.nz.
- Rob Maddox — Labour Weekend Auckland 5-man 2002, Paintball.co.nz, October 2002.
- Auckland Super 5’s Series Thread. NZ P8NT forum, 2007. Includes monthly results, interim standings and the roster post dated 7 July.