2008 Western Springs Open
2008 Western Springs Open was a five-player tournament paintball event held on 25–26 October 2008 at Western Springs Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. The competition took place on the rugby field inside the stadium's speedway track and used National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) rules.[1]
Contemporary discussions from the NZ Paintball Message Boards document the tournament's organisation, planned participation and competition format. A subsequent account reported that nine teams competed.[2]
Organisation
The tournament was announced in July 2008 as an open five-player competition scheduled for Labour Weekend.
The playing field was established on the rugby field within Western Springs Stadium, rather than at a permanent commercial paintball facility.[1]
The event was scheduled over two days, with field walking available from 1:00 pm on Friday, 24 October.
The published arrangements included:
- Five-player open competition.
- NPPL tournament rules.
- Field paint only.
- Compressed-air filling to 4,500 psi.
- Prizes for first, second and third place.
- An additional award for the highest-placed amateur team.
The initial team entry fee was NZ$600. A package combining entry with ten cases of paintballs was advertised at NZ$1,500. Higher fees applied closer to the event.[1]
An accompanying trade exhibition was proposed, with paintball equipment importers invited to attend.
The organisers acknowledged Redz and SCK Paintball in the tournament announcement.[1]
Teams
The preliminary announcement identified interest from eleven teams:
- Legion
- STK
- Flashpoint
- Murder Inc
- Blast
- Assassins
- Kidz of Hate
- Hybrid
- Kila Muppetz
- Legacy
- Syndicate
These names were published as prospective participants and do not constitute a confirmed final entry list.[1]
A subsequent discussion in November 2008 reported that nine teams had participated in the Labour Weekend tournament.[2]
The complete list of competing teams and their final placings has not been recovered.
Tournament
The competition took place over the weekend of 25–26 October 2008.
Contemporary accounts published after the event confirm that it was held, with nine teams reportedly participating.[2]
Discussion following the tournament addressed the cost of competitive paintball and the difficulties faced by teams travelling to major events.
The Western Springs tournament was subsequently referenced in discussions about the proposed format of the 2009 Queen's Birthday tournament in Palmerston North.[2]
Historical records
The principal surviving source is an archived tournament discussion from the NZ Paintball Message Boards, hosted on Yuku.
It preserves the event announcement, proposed team entries, venue information and arrangements for players.[1]
A separate discussion from November 2008 confirms the tournament's completion and provides a retrospective attendance figure.[2]
The event's final standings, individual match results and complete roster information have not been recovered.
See also
References
- NZ Paintball Message Boards – Springs Open Labour Weekend 2008, tournament announcement and discussion, July–August 2008, subsequently edited in September 2008. Archived 21 August 2009.
- NZ Paintball Message Boards – 2009 Queen's Birthday Tournament, discussion dated November 2008 containing retrospective information about the Western Springs tournament. Archived 30 March 2009.