Team Crisis (New Zealand Paintball Team)
Team Crisis, also known as Crisis Paintball Northland and historically Crisis Management Northland, is a New Zealand paintball team from Whangārei, Northland. The team competed nationally during the late 1990s and early 2000s before returning to tournament competition in 2018.[1][2]
Its documented achievements include winning Division Two at the 2000 Northland Open, finishing fourth in Division One at the 2000 New Zealand Paintball Nationals and placing equal second in the 2000 Valhalla National Rankings.[5][6][9]
The team's retrospective history traces its origins to approximately 1998 and identifies several members involved in both the original team and its modern revival.[1]
History
[edit]Origins and formation
[edit]According to a retrospective history published by Crisis Paintball Northland, the team originated around 1998 when Daniel Joll introduced a group of friends to paintball after playing a recreational game at Strategy Tag Paintball Games in Northland.[1]
The group began with pump-action markers before moving to semi-automatic equipment and organised tournament play. The retrospective credits Brent Matthews of Strategy Tag with introducing the players to competitive speedball.
The five founding members identified in the account were Daniel Joll, Kevin Wood, Craig Starkie, Zane Anderson and Shannon Anderson.
The original team name was Crisis Management Northland. According to the retrospective, the name reflected the financial and organisational difficulties the group experienced when preparing for tournaments.[1]
Zane Anderson painted and airbrushed the team's original playing shirts.
The team's account identifies seven players associated with its original five- and seven-player tournament squads. These are listed in the Players and rosters section.
Early tournament competition, 1999
[edit]The earliest surviving contemporary tournament records establish Crisis competing nationally during 1999.
At the 1999 Northland Open, held at Omana Paintball Field on 28 February, Crisis scored 196 points, finishing eighth overall and third in Division Two.[2]
At the 1999 Auckland Easter Tournament, Crisis finished sixth among ten entries with 769 points. Paul "Spider" McKay's contemporary report described the event as the team's second tournament and highlighted its performance against more experienced opposition.[3]
Crisis subsequently competed in the 1999 New Zealand Paintball Nationals, held on 23–24 October. The team finished seventh among thirteen entries with 555 points. The tournament report explicitly identified Crisis as a Whangārei team.[4]
The published 1999 Valhalla National Rankings listed Team Crisis with 43 ranking points.[8]
2000 season
[edit]At the 2000 Northland Open, held at Jubilee Park in Whangārei on 27 February, Crisis finished third overall and won Division Two with 445 points.[5]
The contemporary report recorded Crisis defeating Black Dragon in its opening match with a maximum score.
In its retrospective, Crisis also reported a divisional victory at an Actions Paintball Queen's Birthday tournament during 2000, playing as a combined Crisis and Paint Contractors Northland team.[1]
An independent final results record for that Queen's Birthday event has not been established.
New Zealand Paintball Nationals
[edit]Crisis competed in Division One at the 2000 New Zealand Paintball Nationals, held on 21–22 October at Actions Paintball in Swanson, Auckland.
The tournament used a seven-player, two-flag format across two speedball fields.
Crisis scored 995 points during preliminary play, recording nine maximum scores. Only Saints finished the preliminary stage with more points.[6]
The team advanced to the Division One finals and finished fourth, behind Saints, Grey and Katipo.[6]
National rankings
[edit]The 2000 Valhalla National Rankings placed Team Crisis equal second with Grey on 82.5 ranking points. Saints Gold led the rankings with 91 points.[9]
This was a season ranking rather than an individual tournament result.
Refereeing and reduced activity, 2001–2017
[edit]Crisis supplied the referees for the 2001 Northland Open, held at Jubilee Park on 25 February 2001. The event was organised by Brent Matthews of Strategy Tag.[7]
This was a refereeing commitment rather than a Crisis tournament entry.
According to the team's retrospective, Crisis ceased regular tournament competition during the early 2000s because of financial pressures, competing personal commitments and dissatisfaction with aspects of organised paintball.[1]
The account also recalls an unnamed remaining Crisis player representing Black Dragons at a 2001 Rotorua tournament. The individual's identity and the claimed fourth-place divisional finish have not been independently established.
The team's retrospective describes an approximately seventeen-year break before its return in 2018.[1]
Return to competition, 2018
[edit]Founding members Craig Starkie and Shannon Anderson were involved in reviving Crisis during 2018.[1]
The team returned to competition at Round 4 of the New Zealand Local Series (NZLS).
The retrospective identifies a seven-player squad for this event, combining returning members with newer players.
2019 New Zealand Local Series
[edit]Crisis competed in the 2019 New Zealand Local Series, with Craig Starkie, Sarah Price and Shannon Anderson identified by the team as important figures in organising its participation.[1]
During this period, the group developed a Northland paintball club, with Strategy Tag Paintball Games again serving as its home field. The retrospective credits Brent and Cindy Matthews with supporting this arrangement.
The team reported competing in all four NZLS rounds and an additional tournament described in its account as the Harwera Cup.
According to the retrospective, Crisis finished third in the overall 2019 NZLS season standings.[1]
The final season placement remains a team-reported result pending independent confirmation from the original league standings.
The account distinguishes five core squad members from additional supporting players.
2020 interruption
[edit]The team's retrospective identifies 2020 as a period of disrupted activity associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]
No complete Crisis tournament record has been established for that year.
2021 East Coast Paintball League
[edit]Crisis returned to regional competition during 2021, participating in the East Coast Paintball League (ECPL).
The team reported entering two squads at the opening round, identified as Crisis A and Crisis Development.[1]
The league's contemporary opening-round report independently confirms Crisis Paintball Northland's involvement in the event held at Bay of Plenty Paintball Club on 2 May 2021.[10]
The retrospective provides a broader nine-person team roster and five additional club or support members for this period.
It does not establish the exact division of players between Crisis A and Crisis Development.
2022 Arena Paintball competition
[edit]Crisis announced its entry into the 2022 Arena 5 Man Race Series opening event at Arena Paintball in Feilding.
A Facebook announcement dated 5 March 2022 published a seven-player roster for the Easter weekend event, scheduled for 16–17 April.[11]
Shannon Anderson was identified as captain and Joseph Toloa as vice-captain.
The announced squad included players appearing in earlier Crisis rosters, including Russell Ryder, Brendan Spain, Kieran Cant, Drew Kinney and Stacey Halls.[11]
The announcement documents the intended event squad but is not by itself confirmation that every listed player competed.
2023 Arena Paintball competition
[edit]Crisis appeared in the published draws for the Easter and King's Birthday rounds of the 2023 Arena 5 Man Race Series.[12]
At the 2023 Arena Paintball King's Birthday Race, held on 3–4 June, Crisis finished second in the Cup competition. The team announced the result on 5 June 2023.[13]
At the 2023 Arena Paintball Labour Day Tournament, Crisis reported reaching the Plate final and finishing second.[14]
The Labour Day report named seven participants by first name: Shannon, Joe, Russell, Trey, Luke, Tyler and Cam. These names have not all been independently matched to full player identities.
2024–2025 competition
[edit]Crisis appeared in the organiser's published draws for the 2024 Arena Paintball Easter Race and 2024 Arena Paintball King's Birthday Race.[15][16]
The team was also listed in the draw for the 2025 Arena Paintball March Race.[17]
A post published by TRY IT AND SEE on 31 October 2025 identified Patrick Moses as having played for Crisis Paintball Northland at an Arena Paintball tournament that month.[18]
These records demonstrate continued tournament participation or scheduled entries, but do not establish complete results for the relevant events.
Players and rosters
[edit]The following rosters are drawn from the team's retrospective history and contemporary announcements.
A player appearing in one roster is not assumed to have competed at every event during that season.
Founding members, approximately 1998
[edit]The team's retrospective identifies the following founding members:[1]
| Name |
|---|
| Daniel Joll |
| Kevin Wood |
| Craig Starkie |
| Zane Anderson |
| Shannon Anderson |
Original five- and seven-player squads
[edit]The retrospective identifies seven members of the original Crisis Management Northland tournament group:[1]
| Player |
|---|
| Daniel Joll |
| Kevin Wood |
| Craig Starkie |
| Charles Watson |
| Adrian Halls |
| Zane Anderson |
| Shannon Anderson |
This is a retrospective group roster rather than a verified entry list for a particular tournament.
2018 NZLS Round 4
[edit]The team identified the following players in its 2018 return to competition:[1]
| Player |
|---|
| Craig Starkie |
| Stacey Halls |
| Caleb Smith |
| Grant Dickinson |
| Aaron J |
| Jordan Taylor |
| Shannon Anderson |
The abbreviated name Aaron J and the spelling of Grant Dickinson are retained as recorded in the retrospective pending further identification.
2019 NZLS season
[edit]The team's retrospective distinguished five core players from additional supporting members.[1]
Core roster
[edit]| Player |
|---|
| Craig Starkie |
| Sarah Price |
| Stacey Halls |
| Luke Parkinson |
| Ketch Goode |
Sarah Price was also identified as a player and manager who contributed to organising the team's season.
Additional roster support
[edit]| Player |
|---|
| Caleb Smith |
| Dave Furguson |
| James Gordon |
| General |
| Johan Van Niekerk |
| Drew Karny |
The names General and Drew Karny are reproduced as recorded in the original account. Their identities or alternative spellings have not been independently established.
2021 ECPL season
[edit]Crisis reported fielding Crisis A and Crisis Development at the opening ECPL round.[1]
Team roster
[edit]| Player | Reported number |
|---|---|
| Shannon Anderson | 76 |
| Paul Hayden | 3 |
| Joseph Toloa | 29 |
| Jeremy Clouston | 88 |
| Luke Parkinson | 15 |
| Duncan McHardy | 21 |
| Josh Madden | 7 |
| Matt Everson | 19 |
| Byron Repia | 13 |
Club and support members
[edit]| Member | Reported number |
|---|---|
| Ben Madden | 24 |
| Russell Ryder | 09 |
| Brendon Spain | 22 |
| Dave Furguson | 07 |
| Tash Furguson | 77 |
These lists represent the team's broader 2021 organisation. They do not identify which members competed for Crisis A or Crisis Development in an individual tournament.
2022 Arena Paintball Easter entry
[edit]On 5 March 2022, Crisis published the following roster for the opening Arena Paintball race event.[11]
| Player | Number | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Shannon Anderson | 76 | Captain |
| Joseph Toloa | 29 | Vice-captain |
| Russell Ryder | 09 | Player |
| Brendan Spain | 22 | Player |
| Kieran Cant | 2 | Player |
| Drew Kinney | 420 | Player |
| Stacey Halls | 98 | Player |
The roster was announced in advance of the tournament and is not a confirmed match-by-match playing record.
Equipment and home field
[edit]The team's retrospective identifies Strategy Tag Paintball Games as an important part of its early development and its subsequent revival.[1]
During its earliest years, Crisis used pump-action markers and later semi-automatic markers, including Indian Creek Designs Alley Cat, Panther and Puma models.
The team also recalled using Spyder and Automag markers before moving to electronic Angel markers.[1]
During the modern period, the team identified equipment from Field One, Planet Eclipse, DYE and Gladiatair in its tournament announcements.[11]
These references document equipment use or promotion at particular times and should not be interpreted as permanent sponsorship agreements.
Recorded tournament results
[edit]| Year | Tournament | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1999 Northland Open | 8th overall; 3rd in Division Two; 196 points.[2] |
| 1999 | 1999 Auckland Easter Tournament | 6th of 10; 769 points.[3] |
| 1999 | 1999 New Zealand Paintball Nationals | 7th of 13; 555 points.[4] |
| 2000 | 2000 Northland Open | 3rd overall; Division Two winner; 445 points.[5] |
| 2000 | 2000 New Zealand Paintball Nationals | 4th in Division One; 995 preliminary points.[6] |
| 2019 | New Zealand Lightning Series | 3rd in overall season standings, reported retrospectively by the team.[1] |
| 2021 | 2021 ECPL Round 1 | Crisis A and Crisis Development reported as entries; placings not established.[1][10] |
| 2023 | 2023 Arena Paintball King's Birthday Race | 2nd in Cup.[13] |
| 2023 | 2023 Arena Paintball Labour Day Tournament | 2nd in Plate.[14] |
The table distinguishes independently documented competition results from team-reported retrospective results and entries without verified placings.
National rankings
[edit]The surviving Valhalla National Rankings record the following Team Crisis standings:[8][9]
| Year | Ranking | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Published national ranking entry | 43 |
| 2000 | Equal 2nd | 82.5 |
In 2000, Crisis was tied with Grey, behind Saints Gold on 91 ranking points.[9]
These were season rankings and are separate from the team's placings at individual tournaments.
See also
[edit]- History of paintball in New Zealand
- Northland Open
- New Zealand Local Series
- East Coast Paintball League
- Arena Paintball
- Strategy Tag Paintball Games
- Paint Contractors (New Zealand Paintball Team)
References
[edit]- Crisis Paintball Northland – Crisis LOCKDOWN Management, Special: The History of Crisis Paintball Northland. Team-authored retrospective covering the original membership, early history, 2018 revival, 2019 season and 2021–2022 rosters].
- Rob Maddox, The 1999 Northland Paintball Open, Paintball.co.nz, 1999.
- Paul "Spider" McKay, The 1999 Auckland Easter Tournament, Paintball.co.nz, 1999.
- Rob Maddox, The 1999 New Zealand Paintball Nationals, Paintball.co.nz, 1999.
- Rob Maddox, The 2000 Northland Paintball Open, Paintball.co.nz, 2000.
- Rob Maddox, The 2000 Two Day New Zealand Paintball Nationals, Paintball.co.nz, 2000.
- Rob Maddox, The 2001 Northland Paintball Open, Paintball.co.nz, 2001.
- Mercenaries Star – Valhalla Hall of Heroes: 1999, national team rankings.
- Mercenaries Star – Valhalla Hall of Heroes: 2000, national team rankings.
- East Coast Paintball League – 2021 Round 1 tournament report, Facebook, 3 May 2021.
- Crisis Paintball Northland – Official seven-player roster for the 2022 Arena Paintball Easter event, Facebook, 5 March 2022.
- Arena Paintball – 2023 Easter event draw, Facebook, 7 April 2023.
- Crisis Paintball Northland – Second place in 2023 King's Birthday Cup, Facebook, 5 June 2023.
- Crisis Paintball Northland – Labour Weekend Plate runner-up report, Facebook, October 2023.
- Arena Paintball – Revised 2024 Easter tournament draw, Facebook, 5 March 2024.
- Arena Paintball – Revised 2024 King's Birthday tournament draw, Facebook, 13 May 2024.
- Arena Paintball – 2025 March tournament pools, Facebook, 20 March 2025.
- TRY IT AND SEE – Patrick Moses participation with Crisis Paintball Northland at Arena Paintball, Instagram, 31 October 2025.