Leading in to the final round of the series on 26 and 27 November (Round 4, “the Masters”), Canberra has teams well placed on the series leader boards of all 3 Divisions, an indication of the growing strength of the sport locally.
In Division 1 (also known as Pro division) Canberra’s Apocalypse is in 4th place with a slim chance of finishing 3rd for the season if a few more results go their way. Indeed, at Round 3 they beat their Divisional winner convincingly but could not maintain consistency. The Masters will pit them against 7 teams from New Zealand, Victoria, NSW, QLD and WA. A few American pro players are also expected to make the journey, including Bobby Aviles of LA Infamous and Devon Stutz of the Ironmen, guesting for local teams hoping to find that edge and a podium finish.
In Division 2 (semi-pro) Canberra’s Uprising holds a narrow lead at the top of the series table while Thundercats is in third place 4 points behind. The 2 teams are close rivals and Uprising will be looking to maintain its point edge and must finish at least one place higher than Thundercats at Masters to take out the series championship. A series win would see Uprising move in to the top Division in 2012. Competition will be fierce though with 10 teams contesting the division and a full round expected to be played, testing all to the limit. Teams are also attending from New Zealand (2), Victoria, NSW and QLD.
In Division 3 (Amateur), Uprising B has a firm grip on the divisional title with a 10 point buffer to the 2nd placed team. Other Canberra teams in this Division are Notorious (4th), the all female Divas (7th) and the latest team to jump to this level, Deathsquad which placed 9th at their first major tournament and are 11th overall. Uprising B has the goods to take out the series title and earn promotion to Division 2 in 2012, if they can maintain form and avoid lapses in concentration. Nine teams are contesting Division 3 at Masters.
As a prelude to the Masters, a State of Origin mini-series is being held on Friday 25 November, with players representing their State, drawn from those attending the Masters. The State of Origin format involves 10 man teams on the field, making for hectic and entertaining play. Teams are expected from NSW, Victoria and the ACT. The ACT “Pornstars” with players from X Fighters, Apocalypse and Uprising are hoping to improve on previous years and bridge that elusive gap to the final.
For those interested in learning more about the Super 7s series, check out http://www.super7spaintball.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Super-7s-Paintball-Series/202208353151177 and for local paintball fields contact Paintball Sports ACT (62588238), Predator Paintball (0420580834) or Adventure Paintball (62624242). Training sessions at Paintball Sports happen most Sundays during the season (February through November).Once Predator gets its compressor installed and new competition training field built over the coming summer, Sunday training should also be a regular feature there.
Loading ...
