Australian Super 7s
The Australian Super 7s, also known as the Super 7s Paintball Series or S7S, is an Australian tournament paintball championship. The present series was launched in 2006 and is associated with Action Paintball Games. It has included professional, semi-professional and amateur divisions and has attracted teams and players from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the United States and Canada.[1][2]
An earlier Australian competition using the Super Sevens Series name was announced in 1996. Available records do not establish continuous organisation between that competition and the series launched in 2006.[3]
As of October 2026, the championship is based at Action Paintball Games in Yarramundi, New South Wales.[1]
History
1996 Super Sevens Series
An early Super Sevens Series was announced by Tim McCarthy of Paintball Australia in 1996. McCarthy proposed a seven-player, bring-your-own-paint competition as a more affordable alternative to contemporary ten-player tournaments.[3]
The format was intended to make it easier for teams to recruit travelling squads, reduce tournament paint costs and encourage competition outside Sydney. The proposed series used professional and amateur rankings and assigned experienced teams to referee its events.[3]
Two rounds were announced for 1996:[3]
| Round | Tournament | Scheduled dates | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Pacific Championships | 5–7 October 1996 | Mudgeeraba, Queensland |
| 2 | Rebel Tour | 30 November–1 December 1996 | Skirmish Adventures, Helensburgh, New South Wales |
A proposed four-round 1997 calendar included events at Mount White in New South Wales, a South Australian venue, the Gold Coast in Queensland and Helensburgh in New South Wales. These announcements document the intended calendar rather than confirming that every proposed event took place.[3]
Launch of the modern series
The modern Australian Super 7s championship began in 2006 as a four-round national series. Contemporary coverage described it as the first Australian Super 7s season.[4]
The inaugural competition used three divisions:
- Professional
- Semi-professional
- Division 1
The series travelled between states and concluded at Action Paintball Games in Sydney. The professional season championship offered A$10,000, seven gold championship rings and paint, in addition to prizes awarded at individual rounds.[4]
2006 season
The professional championship developed into a contest between Sydney SWAT and New Zealand team Menace. SWAT won the opening round in February, with Menace second. Menace then won Round 2, where SWAT finished fourth. Gravity won the second round's semi-professional division.[4]
At Round 3, held at Samford, Queensland, in August, SWAT finished ahead of Menace and Apocalypse. Sydney X-Fighters placed second in Semi-Pro, while Uprising won Division 1.[4]
SWAT and Menace entered the final round tied on professional series points. Whichever team finished higher would win the championship.[4]
The final round's professional preliminary standings were:[4]
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney SWAT | 1,089 |
| 2 | Apocalypse | 1,006 |
| 3 | Menace | 977 |
| 4 | Shock | 921 |
| 5 | Furions | 654 |
| 6 | Mongrel Mob | 652 |
SWAT defeated Shock in its semi-final, while Menace defeated Apocalypse. The professional final was tied after its first two games. SWAT won the deciding game to take both the round and the inaugural series championship.[4]
The final-round podium placings were:[4]
| Division | First | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional | Sydney SWAT | Menace | Apocalypse |
| Semi-professional | Sydney X-Fighters | Jetts | Bitchin |
| Division 1 | Adrenaline Freaks | Shenanigans | Uprising |
Backlash won the semi-professional season championship. Its series title was separate from Sydney X-Fighters' final-round victory.[4]
State of Origin competition
The 2006 State of Origin Paintball Tournament took place on 17 November at Action Paintball Games in Sydney, during the final-round weekend. It was a separate ten-player representative competition from the seven-player Super 7s tournament.[4]
New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory competed. Menace provided referees. New South Wales won ahead of Queensland and Western Australia.[4]
International participation and training
The 2006 final round attracted visiting professional players and instructors. A clinic hosted by Action Paintball Games covered breakouts, running and shooting, snap shooting and communication. Its instructors included Danny Tiljak, Thomas Taylor and Stephen “Junior” Brown. Planet Eclipse also provided an Ego marker technical course.[4]
Visiting players participated in the tournament, including Tiljak and Adam Connolly with Sydney SWAT, Brown with Apocalypse, and Nicky Truter with Furions. Taylor coached SWAT while unable to play because of a knee injury.[4]
International participation continued in later seasons. New Zealand teams documented in the series include Menace, the Wellington Rebels and the Manawatu Titans. Singaporean teams also appear in the official rankings.[2]
2007 expansion
Organisers announced a four-round 2007 championship spanning New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland. Paintball Pete's Reffs Inc was appointed to referee the series.[4]
The announced schedule was:[4]
| Round | Scheduled dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17–18 February 2007 | Action Paintball Games, Rouse Hill, New South Wales |
| 2 | 19–20 May 2007 | Action Paintball Games, Serpentine, Western Australia |
| 3 | 4–5 August 2007 | National Paintball Fields, Blacksoil, Queensland |
| 4 | 16–18 November 2007 | Action Paintball Games, Canoelands, New South Wales |
The professional championship again offered A$10,000 and seven gold rings. Advertised individual-round prizes included A$6,000 for the professional winner and A$3,000 for the semi-professional winner.[5]
Menace won the 2007 professional series with 184 points, two ahead of Sydney SWAT. Platinum led the semi-professional standings and The Business led the amateur division.[2]
Later development
By 2012, Super 7s was running a four-round championship at Action Paintball Games in Rouse Hill. PBLeagues records document rounds in February, May, August and November, with the finale promoted as the Australian Masters.[6][7]
Teams appearing in the series during the 2010s included Sydney SWAT, Menace, Hostile Intentions, Sydney X-Fighters, East Side Raw, Perth Crisis, the Wellington Rebels and the Eskimo Brothers.[2]
The series subsequently moved to Action Paintball Games' Yarramundi venue at 770 Springwood Road, New South Wales.[1]
Competition structure
The modern championship generally comprises four rounds, with teams accumulating points towards divisional season standings.[2]
Its principal divisions are:
- Professional
- Semi-professional
- Amateur
Divisional names and lower-division formats have changed over time. Earlier competitions included Division 1, novice categories and three-player formats.[4][6]
The final round is traditionally promoted as the Paintballshop.com Masters or Australian Masters. Championship awards have included seven individual gold rings for the professional series winners.[8]
Selected professional champions
| Season | Champion | Series points | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Sydney SWAT | — | Inaugural season of the modern series.[4] |
| 2007 | Menace | 184 | Two points ahead of Sydney SWAT.[2] |
| 2010 | Hostile Intentions | 116 | Official historical standings.[2] |
| 2019 | East Side Raw | 110 | Ahead of Expendables and Perth Crisis.[2] |
| 2023 | Eskimo Brothers | 88 | Three-round season in the published standings.[2] |
| 2024 | Sydney SWAT | 120 | Won all four rounds.[2] |
| 2025 | NVS | 116 | Tied on points with Sydney SWAT and ranked first under the series tie-breaking rules.[2] |
This is a selection of documented champions, not a complete list.
2026 season
The 2026 calendar comprises four rounds, with professional, semi-professional and amateur competitions held on separate weekends. The final rounds are scheduled for November.[9]
As of 26 October 2026, after three completed rounds, Sydney SWAT led the professional standings with 90 points. Bitchin was second with 84 and RAW Allstars third with 78.[2]
Try It & See led Semi-Pro with 90 points, while Wait & See led the amateur division with the same total.[2]
Media coverage
Super 7s events have been documented through tournament videos, promotional productions, photographs and internet broadcasts. Historical material includes footage produced by DerDer Productions.[10]
The series provides professional-event livestreams through YouTube and Facebook.[1]
See also
References
- Super 7s Paintball — official tournament website.
- Super 7s Paintball — official historical and current rankings.
- “Tim throws his hat into the ring”, Australian Paintballer, April–June 1996, p. 26.
- “Hardcore”, Australian Super 7s final-round report and introductory spread, Australian Paintball Magazine, no. 6, 2006; report pp. 18–25.
- “2007 Australian Super 7s Series”, Australian Paintball Magazine, 2006, p. 40.
- PBLeagues — Super 7s Round 1, 11–12 February 2012.
- PBLeagues — Super 7s Round 4: Masters, 23–25 November 2012.
- Super 7s Paintball — prizes and championship rings.
- Super 7s Paintball — 2026 event dates.
- Super 7s Paintball — tournament media archive.