Teenager dies after taking part in rugby-inspired ‘Run it Straight' craze
Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, has died as a result of his injuries - Instagram
A teenager has died in New Zealand after taking part in a rugby-based craze that has been described as 'bull-rush on steroids'.
Ryan Satterthwaite, who was 19 and from Palmerston North, suffered a serious head injury after being tackled during an impromptu version of the 'Run it Straight' challenge.
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Satterthwaite, an employee of Mainfreight Transport, was taken to hospital by friends but died on Monday night.
'This young man's death is an absolute tragedy and my thoughts are with his family and friends,' said Ross Grantham, the area commander for Police Manawatu.
'The tackle game played by the group of friends was based on a social media-driven trend, where participants compete in full-contact collisions without protective gear.
'We would urge anyone thinking about taking part in a game or event like this to consider the significant safety and injury risks. While this is not a criminal matter, police will continue to undertake inquiries on behalf of the coroner.'
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Recent weeks have seen a rise in the number of organised Run it Straight events in which competitors face off in high-octane, one-on-one tackle situations. The intensity and violence led to The New Zealand Herald describing them as 'bull-rush on steroids'.
Perhaps the highest profile event is the RUNIT Championship League, which has given away 20,000 Australian dollars in prize money at various events in Australia and New Zealand.
Players begin at either end of a 20-metre runway before charging towards one another, with the victor determined as the one who judges believe to have prevailed in the collision.
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RUNIT staged an exhibition clash in Melbourne between Nemani Nadolo, the former Fiji and Leicester Tigers wing, and George Burgess, the ex-England rugby league international and brother of Sam.
Videos have circulated of competitors appearing to be knocked out and there has been vehement criticism from medical professionals and researchers.
Patria Hume, an injury prevention expert and sports scientist at Auckland University of Technology, lamented Satterthwaite's fatal accident as a 'preventable' milestone.
'It is very clear from the number of concussions from the small number of 'running-at-each-other events' that have occurred, that this is going to result in death,' she said.
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'Unfortunately it takes a death to make people take notice and to stop these high-injury-risk activities.
'Ryan's death was preventable. We need people to stop participating in activities where the intention is to hurt someone.'
A spokesperson for RUNIT called Satterthwaite's death 'a tragic event'.
'Any contact sport like boxing, martial arts or combat-style activities should only be held in highly controlled environments, which include professional medical supervision and support,' they told The New Zealand Herald.
'All RUNIT events follow established protocols including screening of participants for suitability, strict guidelines around where and how to tackle [between the shoulders and hips only], with qualified medical support and medical assessments conducted both during and after competition.
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'We do not encourage any copying of the sport as it should only be done under the strict conditions outlined above in sanctioned RUNIT events.'
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