SA’s paintball warriors will take on the world in France!

Updated July 11, 2025, 8:21 a.m. | By East Coast Breakfast

Team South Africa is heading to France for the paintball world champs.

Paintball player — Paintball / PeopleImages / iStock

South Africa is locked, loaded, and headed back to the big leagues of international paintball.

From 27-28 August, Dreux, France, will play host to the United Paintball Federation (UPBF) World Championship.

This is where the world’s best paintball sharpshooters will battle it out for the ultimate bragging rights.

After six years, South Africa is officially back in the mix!

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According to The Citizen, eight of South Africa’s top-ranked paintball players have been handpicked to form a powerhouse squad ready to take on 13 other nations over two action-packed days.

Callum Sturgeon, one of our SA heroes, summed it up perfectly: “It’s an unbelievable dream come true to represent my country in the sport I love. I can’t wait to show the world that South Africa is dominating every sport recently for a reason.”

Now, if you think this team is just going to France just to make up numbers, Shawn McGuiness has a little message for the reigning champs: “I’m looking forward to playing against some well-known teams, especially the USA. They’ve won the last three championships. Unfortunately for them, we’re about to break their streak come August.”

We love the confidence, and if we’re being honest, when South Africans show up, the rest of the world needs to watch out.

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Wait… what is speedball?

Speedball is a high-speed, competitive form of paintball that’s been around since the 90s.

It’s fast, it’s intense, and it requires serious athleticism, lightning-fast reflexes, and teamwork tighter than your favourite Tupperware lids.

Think of it as paintball’s extreme sport cousin. It’s played on symmetrical fields, with inflatable bunkers, rapid-fire markers, and heart-pounding action from start to finish.

Kelly Gerber from South Africa’s Speedball (Xball) League explains more here.

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So, why is this such a big deal for Mzansi?

Well, South Africa hasn’t sent a team to the UPBF World Championship since 2019.

So this comeback is a serious moment for the local paintball scene.

It’s proof that no matter the sport, Mzansi knows how to make an entrance.

So, to Sturgeon, McGuiness, and the rest of Team SA; go show the world how it’s done, Mzansi style.