Intrigue aplenty for the Webstock Mini clash between the CodeBlacks and the Silicon Welly all-star team. Firstly, the teams.

The CodeBlacks have been hit with injuries and players signing to overseas leagues for exorbitant sums. In fact the team is down to only three original CodeBlacks – Steve Dennis, Jeff Wegesin and Mark Rickerby. Zef Fugaz is listed as “day to day” on the injured list and team management is tight-lipped about whether he’ll be competing. In a bold move, selectors have called up five new players to the CodeBlacks. Webstock’s own Natasha Hall will be joined by Sue Tyler, Sal Coe, Sarah Lewis and Bob Medcalf to reinforce the CodeBlacks. And if the internal team emails (leaked today to Webstock) are anything to go by, the CodeBlacks are not a team that’s intimidated.

Natasha Hall: “We’re certainly a far better looking team so we’re off to a great start.”
Bob Medcalf: “I’ve not heard of our opposition. Do you think they’ll be up to much?”

Tim Norton, on the other hand, has pushed the competition rules to the limit, only today announcing the line-up of the Silicon Welly team – a clear violation of the organiser’s requests! It’s a veritable who’s who of the Wellington start-up scene:

Tim Norton – PlanHQ
Phil Fierlinger – Xero
Dave Ten Have – Ponoko
Tim Copeland – SilverStripe
Greg Day – Get Staffed
Clare Tanner – Book habit
John Lewis – Ponoko
John Clegg – ProjectX

But with the big names comes the big pressure. One would think investors in all of these start-ups will be asking some hard questions should Silicon Welly come up second best.

And in one of those “battles within the game” scenarios, Sarah and John Lewis are married. But as always, these relationships take a back seat when the whistle blows. It’s shaping to be a fascinating battle, a presentation of two halves and the only thing certain is that the web will be the winner on the night.