Team Kiwi
Team Kiwi is a name used by several New Zealand tournament paintball teams assembled for international competition, particularly in Malaysia during the 2000s.
The name was used by different groups of players rather than a single continuously operating organisation. Documented or historically reported iterations include teams competing in Malaysia in 2004 and 2005, and a 2008 Malaysian tour organised by Kyn Jackson. A further group involving Peter Mumby and Jason Newport planned a Malaysian trip associated with jerseys seen in 2010, but the trip did not take place.[5]
History
Nation Cup 2004
The earliest identified Team Kiwi delegation competed at the Nation Cup 2004 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The tournament was organised by Xtion Paintball and brought together teams from New Zealand and other countries.
The reported Team Kiwi playing roster included:
The delegation also included Michael Earley, who assisted with its organisation and served as a tournament referee and commentator rather than a competing player.
According to a participant account published in January 2005, Team Kiwi finished fifth and was eliminated following a match against Mana Wave.[1]
Photographic documentation
Martin Dannefaerd, a member of the 2004 team, maintained a photographic archive of the tournament.
His Flickr album, titled Malaysia 2k4, contains 64 photographs documenting the Nation Cup in Kuala Lumpur during December 2004.[2]
The album identifies Xtion Paintball as the tournament host. Individual photographs were uploaded on 5 January 2005 and carry dates from December 2004.
One photograph, titled DSC02369, shows an event banner at Kuala Lumpur airport and identifies Kyn Jackson and Michael Earley in its caption.[3]
Asia Pacific Paintball Championship 2005
A separate Team Kiwi lineup competed at the Asia Pacific Paintball Championship in Malaysia in 2005.
The championship began on 30 September 2005 at Xtion Paintball Park in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.
The reported playing roster included:
Peter Mumby had also played in the 2004 delegation.
The team's final tournament placing has not yet been established from official results.
2008 Malaysian tour
In 2008, another Team Kiwi group travelled to Malaysia for paintball activities. The tour was organised by Kyn Jackson, who had previously played for Team Kiwi at the Nation Cup 2004.[7]
The five identified members of the touring party were:
The players are named in the description of the YouTube video Paintball Team Kiwi in Malaysia, which identifies the group as being in Malaysia in 2008.[6]
Travis and Jason Cleeton were brothers associated with the New Zealand paintball team Raiderz.
The group was also associated with the Auckland paintball community, including players connected with Actions Paintball.
Video documentation
Two YouTube videos document the 2008 Malaysian visit.
The video Paintball Team Kiwi in Malaysia identifies Travis Cleeton, Jason Cleeton, Amon Johnson, Gareth Appleby and Rob Mei in its description, followed by the location and year, Malaysia 2008.[6]
A second video, titled Travis Cleeton Paintball Malaysia Mix, documents Travis Cleeton's participation in Malaysian paintball during 2008. Its description reads "Travis Cleeton (Me) in Malaysia 08".[8]
Together, the recordings provide direct audiovisual documentation of the team's Malaysian visit, including footage specifically attributed to Travis Cleeton.
The specific tournament results from the 2008 tour have not yet been established from official competition records.
Planned Malaysian trip and 2010 jerseys
Team Kiwi jerseys seen in 2010 were associated with a planned trip to Malaysia involving Peter Mumby, Jason Newport and other players.
In a Facebook Messenger conversation with Michael Earley on 24 October 2026, Mumby clarified that the jerseys had been made for a Malaysian trip that never happened. Earley's account of the conversation records that ten jerseys were produced and that the intended team did not compete at the event.[5]
The jerseys therefore document preparations for an unrealised trip, rather than a further tournament appearance. The intended event and complete proposed roster have not been identified.[5]
Team identity
The different Team Kiwi lineups shared a national identity and some returning personnel. However, the available records do not establish that they operated as one continuous organisation.
| Period | Competition or planned activity | Identified personnel | Participation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Nation Cup 2004, Malaysia | Kyn Jackson, Brendon Charles, Peter Mumby, Martin Dannefaerd, Brian Thornley | Competed; reported fifth-place finish |
| 2005 | Asia Pacific Paintball Championship, Malaysia | Michael Earley, Peter Mumby, Gavin Mumby, Jason Newport | Competed |
| 2008 | Malaysian tour organised by Kyn Jackson | Travis Cleeton, Jason Cleeton, Amon Johnson, Gareth Appleby, Rob Mei | Tour documented by two YouTube videos[6][8] |
| Around 2010 | Planned Malaysian trip associated with Team Kiwi jerseys | Peter Mumby, Jason Newport and other intended players | Trip did not take place; ten jerseys reportedly produced[5] |
The listed personnel should not be interpreted as complete event rosters. The planned trip associated with the 2010 jerseys is included as part of the team's history, not its competition record.
Relationship to New Zealand national teams
Team Kiwi should be distinguished from officially selected national representative teams.
In 2015, a separate New Zealand squad competed at the Paintball World Cup Asia Nations Cup in Langkawi, Malaysia.
The team finished 14th among 20 national entries in the Open X-Ball division.[4]
Although the 2015 delegation continued New Zealand's participation in international paintball competition in Malaysia, it did not compete under the Team Kiwi name and was not an organisational continuation of the earlier teams.
Its history is covered separately under New Zealand national paintball team.
See also
- Nation Cup 2004
- Asia Pacific Paintball Championship
- Xtion Paintball Park
- Kyn Jackson
- Peter Mumby
- Martin Dannefaerd
- Jason Newport
- Travis Cleeton
- Raiderz
- Paintball in New Zealand
- Paintball in Malaysia
References
- Michael Earley, "Team Kiwi Malaysia Tournament Report", January 2005. Historical participant account of Nation Cup 2004. Original publication URL requires recovery.
- Malaysia 2k4. Martin Dannefaerd, Flickr. Collection of 64 photographs from Nation Cup 2004 in Kuala Lumpur, uploaded January 2005.
- DSC02369. Martin Dannefaerd, Flickr. Photograph of the tournament banner at Kuala Lumpur airport, identifying Kyn Jackson and Michael Earley, uploaded 5 January 2005.
- 2015 Season Rankings: Paintball Asia League Series. PBLeagues. Rankings recording New Zealand's 14th-place finish in the Nations Cup Open X-Ball division.
- Peter Mumby, private Facebook Messenger correspondence with Michael Earley, 24 October 2026. Screenshot supplied by Earley confirms that the jerseys were made for a Malaysian trip that did not happen. Earley's accompanying account identifies the jerseys as those seen in 2010, records ten being produced, and identifies Mumby and Jason Newport among the intended participants.
- Paintball Team Kiwi in Malaysia. YouTube video. Description identifies Travis Cleeton, Jason Cleeton, Amon Johnson, Gareth Appleby and Rob Mei in Malaysia in 2008.
- Historical information supplied to WikiPaintball, 25 October 2026, identifying Kyn Jackson as the organiser of the 2008 Malaysian tour.
- Travis Cleeton Paintball Malaysia Mix. YouTube video. Description states "Travis Cleeton (Me) in Malaysia 08". Additional video documentation of Cleeton playing paintball in Malaysia during 2008.