Editing Brian Thornley

'''Brian Thornley''', known as '''B2''', is a New Zealand-based tournament [[paintball]] player and co-founder of [[Combat Zone Paintball Dunedin]]. His playing career includes [[Flashpoint (New Zealand)|Flashpoint]], [[Team Kiwi]] and [[Chaos (New Zealand)|Chaos]]. According to a firsthand contributor account, he was the oldest known paintball player still competing in New Zealand as of October 2026.[1]

A video posted on Mark Kressin's Instagram account identifies Thornley as 70 years old and states that he began playing paintball in 1984.[2]

== Playing career ==
Thornley's reported playing history spans more than four decades. Mark Kressin's Instagram video gives his starting year as 1984, while a firsthand contributor account confirms his continued participation in tournament [[speedball]] with Chaos in October 2026.[1][2]

=== Team Kiwi ===
In 2004, Thornley travelled to Malaysia with Team Kiwi, alongside [[Kyn Jackson]], [[Brendon Charles]], [[Peter Mumby]] and [[Martin Dannefaerd]]. The team competed at [[Xtion Paintball Park|Xtion Paintball]] in Kuala Lumpur and finished fifth. Its participation was documented in a tournament report published by NZ Paintball Online and preserved through the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.[3]

=== Flashpoint ===
Thornley previously played for Flashpoint. In a retrospective social media post, he identified Flashpoint as his former team while sharing footage of its match against Blindboyz at Grenada Field in Wellington in 2007.[4]

=== Chaos ===
By October 2026, Thornley was competing with Chaos in New Zealand tournament paintball.[1]

== Combat Zone Paintball ==
Brian and Gaye Thornley founded Combat Zone Paintball in Abbotsford, Dunedin, in 2005. The company's own history identifies Brian's competitive playing experience as part of the background to the business.[5]

An October 2013 profile in the ''Otago Daily Times'' documented Thornley's operation of the venue, which hosted club days, public games and competitions. By that time, the property incorporated three paintball fields.[6]

== See also ==
* [[Team Kiwi]]
* [[Chaos (New Zealand)]]
* [[Flashpoint (New Zealand)]]
* [[Combat Zone Paintball Dunedin]]
* [[Paintball in New Zealand]]
* [[Speedball]]

== References ==
# Firsthand contributor account supplied on 24 October 2026. Identifies Thornley's nickname as B2, confirms his participation with Chaos, and describes him as the oldest known paintball player currently competing in New Zealand.
# [https://www.instagram.com/reel/De2j60mTPzh/ Video featuring Brian Thornley]. Mark Kressin, Instagram. Identifies Thornley as 70 years old and states that he began playing paintball in 1984. Video contents reported by a contributor on 24 October 2026.
# Michael Earley, report on Team Kiwi's 2004 Malaysian tournament appearance. NZ Paintball Online. Archived through the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine; a copy was supplied by a contributor. Documents the playing roster and fifth-place finish.
# [https://www.facebook.com/Brian.Bman.Thornley/posts/only-seems-like-yesterday-my-old-team-flashpoint-and-blindboyz-were-battling-it-/10164071103033778/ Flashpoint vs Blindboyz at Grenada Field, Wellington, 2007]. Brian Bman Thornley, Facebook.
# [https://www.combatzonepaintball.co.nz/about About Us]. Combat Zone Paintball. Identifies Brian and Gaye Thornley as the founders and dates the business to 2005.
# Rosie Manins, [https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/best-of-both-worlds-nqva91xn Best of both worlds]. Otago Daily Times, 8 October 2013.

== External links ==
* [https://www.instagram.com/reel/De2j60mTPzh/ Mark Kressin's Instagram video featuring Brian Thornley]
* [https://www.combatzonepaintball.co.nz/ Combat Zone Paintball official website]

[[Category:Players]]
[[Category:New Zealand paintball players]]
[[Category:Paintball industry people]]