Editing Australian Super 7s (section)

== History ==

=== Earlier Super Sevens competition ===
In 1996, Tim McCarthy of Paintball Australia announced a seven-player Super Sevens Series using a bring-your-own-paint format. The proposal sought to reduce tournament costs and make travelling squads easier to assemble, with Professional and Amateur rankings.[3]

The announcement identified the South Pacific Championships on the Gold Coast in October and the Rebel Tour at Skirmish Adventures, Helensburgh, on 30 November–1 December 1996. A proposed 1997 calendar included Mount White, a South Australian venue, the Gold Coast and Helensburgh.[3]

These announcements document intended events rather than establish that every proposed round took place.

=== Establishment of the modern series ===
The modern championship began in 2006 as a four-round series. Contemporary coverage in ''Australian Paintball Magazine'' explicitly described it as the first Australian Super 7s Series.[1]

The inaugural season included Professional, Semi-Professional and Division 1 competition. The Professional season championship offered A$10,000, seven gold rings and paint, separately from individual-round prizes.[1]

=== Inaugural season ===
The [[2006 Australian Super 7s|2006 Professional championship]] developed into a contest between Sydney SWAT and New Zealand's [[Menace (New Zealand Paintball Team)|Menace]]. SWAT won the opening round, Menace won Round 2 and SWAT defeated Menace at the Queensland round. The teams entered the final event level on championship points.[1]

SWAT defeated Menace 2–1 in the final-round Professional final, winning both the tournament and the inaugural season championship. Backlash won the Semi-Professional season title.[1]

The final-round programme also included a separate ten-player State of Origin competition. New South Wales won ahead of Queensland and Western Australia, with the Australian Capital Territory also competing.[1]

=== Subsequent development ===
Menace won the [[2007 Australian Super 7s|2007 Professional championship]], finishing two points ahead of Sydney SWAT. Platinum won Semi-Professional and The Business won Amateur.[2][5][6]

The [[2008 Australian Super 7s|2008 season]] included rounds in New South Wales and Western Australia. Hostile Intentions, Bitchin and SWAT Kids won the respective Professional, Semi-Professional and Amateur season titles.[7]

The [[2009 Australian Super 7s|2009 championship]] was reduced to three rounds. The organiser explained that it had dropped what would otherwise have been the opening event.[7]

Novice competition was introduced for [[2012 Australian Super 7s|2012]] as a three-player division using specified rental equipment. In later seasons, Amateur and Novice events were sometimes scheduled separately from the Professional and Semi-Professional weekends.[8]

=== COVID-19 disruption ===
The [[2020 Australian Super 7s|2020 HK Army Classic]] produced recorded results in all four divisions. The organiser subsequently cancelled the May DLX Technologies Cup, citing COVID-19 quarantine requirements, travel difficulties and uncertainty over restrictions on sporting events and gatherings.[9]

The notice specifically identified the difficulty facing New Zealand entrants Expendables, Rebel Unit and Immortal Knights. Rescheduling was considered, but no replacement date was confirmed in that announcement.[9]

The recovered 2020 results contain opening-round points only. Completion of the later advertised rounds remains unconfirmed by those records.[10]

The specific [[2021 Australian Super 7s|2021 calendar]] listed three rounds, while the archived numerical results document only the opening DLX Cup. Missing later results do not independently establish cancellation or its cause.[11][12]

In [[2022 Australian Super 7s|2022]], the organiser stated that separate Semi-Professional events at Rounds 2 and 3 were not held because of insufficient teams. Championship credits were instead recorded for participation in other divisions. The source does not attribute that shortage to COVID-19.[13]