Teen Dies After Controversial Tackle Game
Press Release – Science Media Centre
A teenager has died after suffering a head injury while playing a private 'run it straight-style' tackle game in Palmerston North.
It follows on from official RUNIT events taking place in Auckland last week, with a quarter of participants in one event reportedly suffering concussions.
The Science Media Centre asked experts to comment.
Professor Louise Parr-Brownlie (Ngāti Maniapoto, Te Arawa), Neuroscientist in the Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, comments:
'All unnecessary deaths are tragic, and leave a trail of destruction for whānau and friends. Ngā mihi ki te whānau me ngā hoa o Ryan Satterthwaite.
'Tackle game appears to be the latest version of a gladiator sport – adrenaline-driven risk taking by the gladiators that provides entertainment for those watching. Consequently, there are significant prizes up for grabs for competitors in organised competitions.
'Be cautious! Injury occurs when two people collide running at significant speed. Impact forces damage body tissues.
'Head injuries will occur from direct impact when one person's head collides the other person's head, part of their body or the ground. However, injury will also occur when there is no external impact – through whiplash. Here, when the body stops suddenly, but the head and brain snaps forwards or backwards, the cerebrospinal fluid that normally suspends and cushions the brain cannot prevent it from hitting the skull. This impact within the head tears brain and supporting connective tissues.
'As a consequence, brain function will be altered due to swelling or damage. The brain is bruised and the person is concussed. If the damage or swelling is severe, the person may die unless there is an emergency medical intervention.
'Fans of tackle game competitions enjoy the strengthened sense of community at these events. Connecting, the sense of belonging and forming deep relationships are good for mental health. But there are many other ways to connect and improve mental health without increasing the risk of a brain injury or death for a friend or competitor.'
No conflicts of interest.
Dr Josh McGeown, Senior Research Fellow – Mātai Medical Research Institute, comments:
'This is an incredibly sad – but unfortunately foreseeable – loss of life.
'While 'Run it Straight' events may superficially appear to resemble rugby or league, they are fundamentally different. In rugby codes, a primary concern is the risk of concussion. Decades of research have focused on understanding the biomechanics, assessment, prevention and rehabilitation of these injuries to reduce the risks. Safeguards like modified rules, medical oversight, proper training, and safe technique are integral to making sport safer.
'The format of 'Run it Straight' disregards these advances in sports medicine by deliberately creating 'battlefield' conditions that maximise the intensity of each collision. From a brain injury perspective, this shifts concerns from risk of concussion – serious in itself – to high risk of catastrophic and immediately life-threatening brain trauma due to skull fractures or brain bleeds. These severe forms of injury are more commonly seen in high-speed crashes than in organised sport.
'The RUNIT League promotes itself as the 'world's fiercest collision sport… built to break limits.' They say it was 'born to go viral.' That's exactly the problem and reflects a broader issue: the role of media in amplifying high-risk behaviour. When these stunts trend online or feature in mainstream reporting, they become socially endorsed. Glorifying violent collisions as entertainment and rewarding domination creates a culture of imitation – especially among young men – with dire consequences.
'This is where the distinction between RUNIT and sports like rugby matters most. In sport, injury is a risk. In RUNIT, injury is the objective. These events are not a test of toughness or resilience. They are deliberately engineered to cause harm for the sake of views and virality.'
Conflict of interest statement: 'I have received funding from the New Zealand Rugby Foundation.'
Professor Patria Hume, Professor Human Performance, AUT, comments:
'Last week in media interviews I stated that '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'. I also said it unfortunately takes a death to make people take notice and to stop these high injury risk activities.
'This was a back yard copycat of the RunIt events. Ryan's death was preventable.
'The 'King of the Streets' 'event' based on UFC is also a high-risk event.
'We need people to stop participating in activities where the intention is to hurt someone.
'Why is this not considered assault?
'When two 150 kg rugby players collide at full sprint, the impact force can exceed 24,000 Newtons—far greater than a car crash at 30 km/h. These are not just games; they are high-speed collisions with the potential to cause life-altering brain injuries and death. Our biomechanics calculations show that the human body is not built to absorb this level of force repeatedly without consequence.
'The force of an intentional collision between two sprinting players is nearly five times that of a professional boxer's punch and more than twice the force of falling from two meters. These numbers are not just statistics—they represent a serious risk of concussion, fractures, with the potential to cause life-altering brain injuries and death. We must treat these impacts with the same seriousness as we do car crashes.'
No conflicts of interest.
Professor Melanie Bussey, School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Otago, comments:
'The 'Run it Straight' event involves players tackling one another head-on at full run-up speed, a format that raises serious safety concerns. Current research is in agreement that front-on, upright tackles carry a significantly higher risk of concussions and neck injury. Moreover, our recent instrumented mouthguard research confirms that these tackles result in significantly higher head acceleration outcomes, which increases the likelihood of serious brain trauma. Objectively, this style of contact is among the highest-risk in sport when it comes to head and neck injury.
'At a time when player associations and governing bodies, across various sporting codes, are working hard to improve player welfare and reduce preventable injuries, the introduction of such a high-risk event seems not only counterproductive but deeply concerning.'
Conflict of interest statement: 'My research has been funded by World Rugby as well as the NZ rugby foundation, I have working relationships with Prevent Biometrics and New Zealand Rugby both through my own research work and the work of my students.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
5 hours ago
- Scoop
Science Kits Launched, Curriculum Overhaul To Come
Press Release – Science Media Centre The 2025 Budget included almost $40 million over four years on science kits for Year 0 to 8 students, which the Education Minister today announced will support teachers to confidently deliver practical science learning, aligned with the new science curriculum. The new national Science Curriculum is expected to become available later this year, after a rewrite was paused in 2024. The 2025 Budget included almost $40 million over four years on science kits for Year 0 to 8 students, which the Education Minister today announced will 'support teachers to confidently deliver practical science learning, aligned with the new science curriculum.' The SMC asked experts to comment on the state of science education in NZ. Professor Stuart McNaughton, Professor in Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of Auckland, comments: 'Science and pūtaiao kits which provide teachers with hands on level-appropriate resources for experiments and science activities are an important piece in a wider puzzle. That puzzle is how best to increase both students' understanding and critical engagement in science, particularly through the primary school years where we know we need to be more effective. 'Other parts of the puzzle include the capabilities of the teachers to use the resources effectively. It has been apparent for some time that we need more specialised knowledge and skills to teach science in these years. Being able to use resources such as these, tailored to the local context, is key to increasing ongoing engagement. 'A good example is the role of well-designed resources in environment science topics, focused on the local context and its communities, acknowledging their knowledge, including Mātauranga Māori. When associated with students engaging in ways which contribute to solving issues related to climate change, this develops both achievement in science, and science citizenship skills. 'There are implications here for the preparation of our teachers to teach years 0-8 and their ongoing professional learning and development. Having advanced qualifications and a science background for specialist teaching available in schools needs to be accompanied by other pieces. 'The curriculum piece requires clear direction on how best and when to foster deep knowledge, critical thinking and the skills for acting as a scientist. The latter must include being able to identify and understand the threats posed by misused and misrepresented science information; students urgently need well-developed media and information literacy for science.' No conflicts of interest. Science education researchers Professor Georgina Tuari Stewart (Ngāpuhi-nui-tonu, Pare Hauraki), AUT; Associate Professor Sally Birdsall, University of Auckland; and Dr Brian Tweed, Massey University, comment: 'It's got to be a good thing to bring down barriers to learning science, so we welcome the news today about the kits for all Year 0-8 classrooms. 'They are not essential for primary science, which can be taught brilliantly using everyday materials, and schools will need to carefully store and manage them to prevent components being lost. Providing teacher professional learning will be key; on their own, the kits could be ineffective. 'But no matter how well they are used, these kits could never produce the results claimed by the Minister, because it is in secondary schooling where all but a tiny percent of students are turned off and stop studying science.' Conflict of interest statement: None declared. Dr Carrie Swanson, Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education at AUT, comments: 'The announcement of investment in primary science education is welcome. 'There are two main foci for science education, one is to produce scientifically literate citizens, and the other is to produce scientists or students who will work in STEM fields. It appears the direction of the implied curriculum is towards educating future scientists. 'Enhancing the STEM pipeline is more complex than providing students with a 'wow' experience. Providing curated boxes of experiments, and online modules on how to do the experiments will not position the learning within relevant contexts. This is only part of the solution. Teachers need sustained professional development from science experts, preferably kanohi ki te kanohi to not only develop their thinking about scientific concepts but also how to support discussion and enhance critical thinking about socio-scientific issues and wicked problems affecting the world. Students need to be able to see themselves in science and see the relevance of it to them and their community. 'This is a weakness in this approach, as the science is 'boxed' rather than connected to the world around them. While it is pleasing to see that resources are available in te reo, the connection to Mātauranga Māori and Pacific contexts is less apparent. There seems to be a dearth of connection to the environment, and sustainability.' No conflicts of interest. Dr Jared Carpendale, Senior Lecturer – Teacher Education, Massey University, comments: ' I also want students to love learning about science. 'The issue of a lack of science learning opportunities and experiences for primary aged students which foster their natural curiosity is systemic and ongoing. Focusing on developing science kits seems short sighted when the goal should be about supporting teachers' knowledge and confidence to teach science in a transformative and systemic way. 'Science kits might help those teachers who are keen on teaching science where accessing resources is an external barrier. However, research shows that for most primary teachers, the barrier is internal – their knowledge, confidence, and views on science, often stemming from their own science education experiences. 'In their work, the Education Review Office highlighted eight actions from schools that influenced the improvement of science learning for primary aged students: Demonstrating the will to improve student engagement in science Carrying out high-quality internal evaluation Using achievement information for planning and evaluation Engaging in targeted external and in-school professional learning and development Effectively managing change Changing the focus of science programmes from content to developing science capabilities Using a range of resources Involving others in the community 'Using science kits focuses on one of these. While the announcement mentions that teachers will have access to professional development modules, it seems that they will be focused on how to use the kits rather than understanding the science ideas which underpin them. 'Perhaps a more appropriate way to use ~$40m is to build a national network of primary science specialists who can support teacher knowledge and confidence in appropriate and transformative ways.' No conflicts of interest. Associate Professor Chris Eames, School of Education, University of Waikato, comments: 'It was great news in the budget to see the Government resourcing science education. This is critical for our students to foster an understanding of the world around us and give young people the knowledge and skills to inform their decision-making. This is especially important at a time when misinformation and disinformation are being widely used, the role of evidence is being undermined. 'The provision of the science kits does have promise to engage students' thinking and curiosity, and done well, could stimulate an enjoyment of learning in science, leading to later career choices. Science kits by themselves are a limited response to engaging students' learning and care is needed to ensure students are engaging in a range of scientific methods, including learning outside the classroom. 'Any initiative to improve science education in primary schools will rely on the capacity and capability of the teacher, so it will be important that the science kit professional development modules focus on more than just how to use the kit, but help to support teacher conceptual, procedural and epistemic knowledge. It is also questionable as to whether provision of science kits to all schools over 4 years is a durable solution to create long-term excellence in science education in primary schools. This initiative seems lacking in longer-term teacher capacity building. 'The timeframe to deliver the kits and support is welcome but quite short. It is to be hoped that the provision of this initiative will be offered widely to the science education community to ensure the best possible offerings from a diverse range of suppliers. It would also be important for the kits to include opportunities to integrate literacy and numeracy objectives, so that time-pressured teachers can find ways to fit their use into their curriculum. ' Conflict of interest statement: 'I have not been involved in the science curriculum writing and do not perceive any other conflict of interest.' Dr Michael Edmonds, President of the NZ Institute of Chemistry, comments: 'I am delighted to see the government has committed to bring high quality, hands-on science kits into classrooms around New Zealand. There is nothing quite like students participating in science themselves to spark a passion for science that can lead to many different and satisfying future careers. The New Zealand science and engineering communities have a proud history of bringing practical science to schools and communities through initiatives such as the Wonder Project, House of Science, Nanogirl and EVolocity. Reduction of government funding for the aforementioned projects means there is certainly a space for more hands on activities in schools. 'As this government is focused on efficiency, I would encourage them to make sure that any new initiatives align well with previous initiatives use of existing expertise in New Zealand, perhaps by consulting or contracting previous providers. This way we can be certain that the new initiatives engage and inspire students to not only understand key scientific concepts but also see how science can and does make the world a better and more exciting place to live.'
Scoop
5 hours ago
- Scoop
NZ's Leading Sports Clinicians Call For Ban On RunIt
Executive members of Sports Medicine New Zealand (SMNZ) are appalled at the lack of safety measures and regulations that have already lead to severe injuries, and at least one fatality, attributed to new social media event 'RunIt'. 'This activity doesn't just endanger participants, but makes a mockery of the considerable effort and investment contact sports have made on impact-readiness training, brain injury awareness, reporting and management, all in a bid to ensure the safety and well-being of athletes' says Dr Stephen Kara, National Chair of SMNZ. The biomechanics of RunIt collisions are comparable to severe car crashes. When two 105 kg participants (average body mass of rugby players) sprint towards each other, the impact force can exceed 16,800 Newtons. This force is over three times that of a professional boxer's punch and more than 1.5 times the force of falling from two meters. Such high impact collisions carry a significant risk of severe brain injury, fractures, and death. 'New Zealand is a proud sporting nation and those of us who work in the industry, committed to helping athletes achieve their best and stay healthy, are astounded that such an event can not only be permitted under the Health and Safety Act, but can even remotely call itself a 'sport'. 'RunIt is not a sport. It is jousting without sticks, and whilst that may have been a sport in medieval times, it has no place in today's sporting arenas.'
Scoop
5 hours ago
- Scoop
Science Kits Launched, Curriculum Overhaul To Come
Press Release – Science Media Centre The new national Science Curriculum is expected to become available later this year, after a rewrite was paused in 2024. The 2025 Budget included almost $40 million over four years on science kits for Year 0 to 8 students, which the Education Minister today announced will 'support teachers to confidently deliver practical science learning, aligned with the new science curriculum.' The SMC asked experts to comment on the state of science education in NZ. Professor Stuart McNaughton, Professor in Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of Auckland, comments: 'Science and pūtaiao kits which provide teachers with hands on level-appropriate resources for experiments and science activities are an important piece in a wider puzzle. That puzzle is how best to increase both students' understanding and critical engagement in science, particularly through the primary school years where we know we need to be more effective. 'Other parts of the puzzle include the capabilities of the teachers to use the resources effectively. It has been apparent for some time that we need more specialised knowledge and skills to teach science in these years. Being able to use resources such as these, tailored to the local context, is key to increasing ongoing engagement. 'A good example is the role of well-designed resources in environment science topics, focused on the local context and its communities, acknowledging their knowledge, including Mātauranga Māori. When associated with students engaging in ways which contribute to solving issues related to climate change, this develops both achievement in science, and science citizenship skills. 'There are implications here for the preparation of our teachers to teach years 0-8 and their ongoing professional learning and development. Having advanced qualifications and a science background for specialist teaching available in schools needs to be accompanied by other pieces. 'The curriculum piece requires clear direction on how best and when to foster deep knowledge, critical thinking and the skills for acting as a scientist. The latter must include being able to identify and understand the threats posed by misused and misrepresented science information; students urgently need well-developed media and information literacy for science.' No conflicts of interest. Science education researchers Professor Georgina Tuari Stewart (Ngāpuhi-nui-tonu, Pare Hauraki), AUT; Associate Professor Sally Birdsall, University of Auckland; and Dr Brian Tweed, Massey University, comment: 'It's got to be a good thing to bring down barriers to learning science, so we welcome the news today about the kits for all Year 0-8 classrooms. 'They are not essential for primary science, which can be taught brilliantly using everyday materials, and schools will need to carefully store and manage them to prevent components being lost. Providing teacher professional learning will be key; on their own, the kits could be ineffective. 'But no matter how well they are used, these kits could never produce the results claimed by the Minister, because it is in secondary schooling where all but a tiny percent of students are turned off and stop studying science.' Conflict of interest statement: None declared. Dr Carrie Swanson, Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education at AUT, comments: 'The announcement of investment in primary science education is welcome. 'There are two main foci for science education, one is to produce scientifically literate citizens, and the other is to produce scientists or students who will work in STEM fields. It appears the direction of the implied curriculum is towards educating future scientists. 'Enhancing the STEM pipeline is more complex than providing students with a 'wow' experience. Providing curated boxes of experiments, and online modules on how to do the experiments will not position the learning within relevant contexts. This is only part of the solution. Teachers need sustained professional development from science experts, preferably kanohi ki te kanohi to not only develop their thinking about scientific concepts but also how to support discussion and enhance critical thinking about socio-scientific issues and wicked problems affecting the world. Students need to be able to see themselves in science and see the relevance of it to them and their community. 'This is a weakness in this approach, as the science is 'boxed' rather than connected to the world around them. While it is pleasing to see that resources are available in te reo, the connection to Mātauranga Māori and Pacific contexts is less apparent. There seems to be a dearth of connection to the environment, and sustainability.' No conflicts of interest. Dr Jared Carpendale, Senior Lecturer – Teacher Education, Massey University, comments: ' I also want students to love learning about science. 'The issue of a lack of science learning opportunities and experiences for primary aged students which foster their natural curiosity is systemic and ongoing. Focusing on developing science kits seems short sighted when the goal should be about supporting teachers' knowledge and confidence to teach science in a transformative and systemic way. 'Science kits might help those teachers who are keen on teaching science where accessing resources is an external barrier. However, research shows that for most primary teachers, the barrier is internal – their knowledge, confidence, and views on science, often stemming from their own science education experiences. 'In their work, the Education Review Office highlighted eight actions from schools that influenced the improvement of science learning for primary aged students: Demonstrating the will to improve student engagement in science Carrying out high-quality internal evaluation Using achievement information for planning and evaluation Engaging in targeted external and in-school professional learning and development Effectively managing change Changing the focus of science programmes from content to developing science capabilities Using a range of resources Involving others in the community 'Using science kits focuses on one of these. While the announcement mentions that teachers will have access to professional development modules, it seems that they will be focused on how to use the kits rather than understanding the science ideas which underpin them. 'Perhaps a more appropriate way to use ~$40m is to build a national network of primary science specialists who can support teacher knowledge and confidence in appropriate and transformative ways.' No conflicts of interest. Associate Professor Chris Eames, School of Education, University of Waikato, comments: 'It was great news in the budget to see the Government resourcing science education. This is critical for our students to foster an understanding of the world around us and give young people the knowledge and skills to inform their decision-making. This is especially important at a time when misinformation and disinformation are being widely used, the role of evidence is being undermined. 'The provision of the science kits does have promise to engage students' thinking and curiosity, and done well, could stimulate an enjoyment of learning in science, leading to later career choices. Science kits by themselves are a limited response to engaging students' learning and care is needed to ensure students are engaging in a range of scientific methods, including learning outside the classroom. 'Any initiative to improve science education in primary schools will rely on the capacity and capability of the teacher, so it will be important that the science kit professional development modules focus on more than just how to use the kit, but help to support teacher conceptual, procedural and epistemic knowledge. It is also questionable as to whether provision of science kits to all schools over 4 years is a durable solution to create long-term excellence in science education in primary schools. This initiative seems lacking in longer-term teacher capacity building. 'The timeframe to deliver the kits and support is welcome but quite short. It is to be hoped that the provision of this initiative will be offered widely to the science education community to ensure the best possible offerings from a diverse range of suppliers. It would also be important for the kits to include opportunities to integrate literacy and numeracy objectives, so that time-pressured teachers can find ways to fit their use into their curriculum. ' Conflict of interest statement: 'I have not been involved in the science curriculum writing and do not perceive any other conflict of interest.' Dr Michael Edmonds, President of the NZ Institute of Chemistry, comments: 'I am delighted to see the government has committed to bring high quality, hands-on science kits into classrooms around New Zealand. There is nothing quite like students participating in science themselves to spark a passion for science that can lead to many different and satisfying future careers. The New Zealand science and engineering communities have a proud history of bringing practical science to schools and communities through initiatives such as the Wonder Project, House of Science, Nanogirl and EVolocity. Reduction of government funding for the aforementioned projects means there is certainly a space for more hands on activities in schools. 'As this government is focused on efficiency, I would encourage them to make sure that any new initiatives align well with previous initiatives use of existing expertise in New Zealand, perhaps by consulting or contracting previous providers. This way we can be certain that the new initiatives engage and inspire students to not only understand key scientific concepts but also see how science can and does make the world a better and more exciting place to live.'
