A group of athletes have been selected for a major event in conjunction with the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, yet despite having trained for more than a decade, the call to wear the black jersey came as a surprise to many of the them.
This is the first time their sports have been considered for the international event.
A pre-game ritual like any other...
"I just stretch the fingers and if any of them are feeling pressured I'll just focus on them a bit more," said Sam Johnson.
Meet some of New Zealand's first ever eBlacks team.
"My name is Sam Johnson - my endgame name is Xplosive Fury."
"I'm Tyler Williams or 'Kenny Salmon', as I'm known in Rocket League."
"My name is Josh King and my endgame title is JMKKing."
"My name is Lucy 'YCULStranger' Tam."
The Birmingham tournament is a pilot event that includes three esports - Rocket League, eFootball and Defense of the Ancients, better known as DOTA.
And despite being virtual, the players consider themselves athletes - in a sense.
"The mental game is the same, if not harder than your regular sports," said Johnson.
"The things like the mental discipline and composure, and stuff like that, I don't see how that's any different to being an athlete in other sports," said King.
In a male-dominated field, Tam will be part of the womens' DOTA 2 team and hopes the opportunity will encourage other female gamers to play competitively.
"It does get lonely," she said. "I would wish there was more girls into it."
The teams need to beat Australia to qualify for the Birmingham Games in August, but they have that quiet Kiwi confidence.
"I'd like to have a go against some of them, even if it'll be a bit difficult," said Williams. "I'd like to see what we could do."
These games really are a case of mind over matter.
Watch the video for the full story
