Big cash prices driving those to RUN It game
sport health 29 minutes ago
19 year old Ryan Satterthwaite suffered a catastrophic head injury while playing a version of Run It Straight. Since the death some high profile sports people and organisations have come out warning of the dangers of the craze being promoted on social media. Two participants at an Official Run it Championship trial held in Auckland last week were knocked out. Former league star Manu Vatuvei who played for the Warriors and New Zealand team, was there and endorsed the game saying he loved it and he is happy its here in New Zealand. David Letele spoke to Lisa Owen.
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RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Loafers Lodge: Survivors' advocate hopes manslaughter charges bring closure
Fire broke out at the Loafers Lodge building in the early hours of 16 May, 2023, with almost 100 residents inside. Five were killed. Charges have now been laid in connection to the case. Photo: RNZ /Angus Dreaver Wellington's city missioner says three new charges of manslaughter over the fire at Loafers Lodge are a step closer to closure for families and former residents. The blaze just over two years ago killed five of the building's 92 residents. The police said the newly accused - two men, aged 75 and 58, and a 70-year-old woman - each face five charges of manslaughter, and were involved with the management and operation of the building, responsible for aspects of its fire safety. The defendants entered no plea when they appeared in court on Thursday afternoon, and Judge Peter Hobbs remanded the trio on bail to appear in the court later in the month. He included orders for the trio not to have contact with each other, or a fourth individual yet to appear, and granted interim name suppression. Flames seen in the top storey of the Loafers Lodge building in Adelaide Road, Newtown, Wellington. Photo: Supplied / Axel Dann Police said they expect to lay charges against another man in coming days. Murray Edridge from the Wellington City Mission told RNZ he remained in contact with a number of former residents of the lodge, and said people were still suffering from the trauma. "It's clear that there's still significant trauma associated with the fire. It feels like it's an unconcluded process and people are still in pain." He hoped the court process now underway would help people find closure. "So many questions have remained unanswered," he said. "It may be that the accountability that appears to be coming from the newly laid charges will help people get to some point of conclusion with their own trauma." Separately, a 50-year-old man, who has name suppression, has previously been charged with murder and arson, and is due to stand trial in August. Meanwhile, the gutted three-storey building stands virtually unchanged on Adelaide Road and its future remains unclear. Edridge said it was a constant reminder of the pain former residents went through. Loafers Lodge on the night of the blaze. Photo: RNZ / Denise Garland Association of Building Compliance chief executive Trent Fearnley told RNZ these types of charges were the first he had heard of. "Generally speaking, there has been some issues of non-compliance where we have had dangerous buildings that have been acknowledged by the council and Fire Emergency New Zealand, but that's also a rare case." Fearnley said events like the Loafers Lodge fire put a spotlight on building compliance. "We are always constantly improving and this was just a reminder that we need to continue to constantly improve." He said the charges were a reminder of what can happen if people did not do their job responsibly. University of Auckland law professor Julia Tolmie said under the Crimes Act, those who were in control of something that might endanger life had to use reasonable care to avoid danger. Tolmie said if that was breached and it resulted in death that would be culpable homicide or effectively manslaughter. She believed operators of accommodation services would be taking note of the latest charges. Fire and Emergency use a skylift to assess damage to Loafers Lodge following the fatal fire. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver Mayor Tory Whanau told RNZ she was pleased police had undertaken "such a thorough investigation leading to the laying of these charges". "We will await the outcome of the trial," she said. "My heart goes out to the whānau and friends of those who perished in the Loafers Lodge fire, who continue to grieve." The fire triggered a series of inquiries into fire protections . A Wellington City Council audit released in June 2023 found 25 similar buildings in the capital. Twenty-one had a current building warrant of fitness, one never had one and three did, but they were not current. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) launched a probe into 37 similar buildings - that is, boarding houses at least three storeys tall, with no sprinklers - and found more than 100 problems, including smoke detectors not working and unmonitored alarm systems. It also found the boarding houses were on average 60 years old. Most were not built originally to be accommodation and 69 percent had issues with safety systems. At the time of the two-year anniversary, the Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk told RNZ he expected the final report and recommendations to be delivered within weeks, and that it would be made public shortly after. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Sevens star Michaela Brake braces for NRLW impact with Warriors women
Michaela Brake became the top tryscorer on the World Rugby sevens circuit in February. Photo: PhotoSport NZ Barely a week into her rugby league career, sevens superstar Michaela Brake experienced her 'Welcome to the Warriors' moment. Just months after becoming the most prolific tryscorer on the World Rugby circuit, passing former Black Ferns ally Portia Woodman-Wickliffe at Vancouver in February, the two-time Olympic champion is preparing for perhaps her biggest challenge, when NZ Warriors return to the NRLW competition , after a three-year absence. Sevens exponents are renowned for their fitness levels, but nothing could have prepared the pint-sized speedster, at 1.65m (5ft 5in) and 65kg, for the pounding she has already received at the hands of her new teammates. "If you watched our training on Saturday, holy, it got to the point where I was crying, because I was so exhausted, so taken aback by the physicality of the training," Brake (formerly Michaela Blyde) said. "You've really got to mentally get up for these kind of trainings, because it's very, very different. It's safely controlled, but you've got to seriously be tough, with the different dynamics of the contact area, how you used your body smartly to try to be the winner in the contact area. "I'm learning a lot about that the hard way, which is great. Just chuck me in the deep end with no floaties, and we'll see if I sink or swim. "It's a challenge I'm having to adapt to very quickly." Sevens-to-league converts aren't exactly rare, especially in the women's game, where several others have successfully transitioned previously. Two years ago, Tyla King (formerly Nathan-Wong) starred for the Kiwi Ferns in a rare test victory over Australia Jillaroos and, days later, was named World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year. Last year, Stacey Waaka set the NRLW alight early, scoring six tries in her first six outings, before fracturing a fibula in her right leg. Her performance was still good enough to earn Dally M Winger of the Year honours in her debut season. Most of those who have gone before Brake, 29, have at least some 15s background to draw on, when it comes to confronting much bigger players at close quarters. Waaka was a member of the NZ team that won the last Rugby World Cup and has chosen that pathway again this season. "I definitely need to work on my toughness in contact." Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Brake's previous attempts at the expanded format have usually ended badly, once at the hands of new flatmate and former Black Ferns Sevens teammate Shakira Baker. "I played three games for Bay of Plenty Volcanix in 2016, after not making the Rio Olympics, and we played against Wellington, who Shakira was playing for. "I decided to run it straight at her and she gave me a haematoma." More recently, another stint with the Bay team ended with a broken jaw, trying to tackle a prop in pre-season training. If nothing else, these failed forays into provincial rugby have sharpened her survival instincts in rugby league. "I definitely need to work on my toughness in contact," she admitted. "It's very different." "Obviously, in sevens and union in general, there are strict rules about where you can tackle, but in league, you can kind of bend those rules a little. I'm just trying to find the balance of where I can use my strength with my upper body in league, without getting bunted off by girls that are far bigger than myself. "Of course, my speed is not going to hide. As soon as I catch the ball, I'm just going to run hard into space and hopefully that will work out well for me in the Warriors jersey." On the other hand, Baker has an extensive pedigree in both forms of rugby union, with 13 tests for the Black Ferns - including the 2014 World Cup - and sevens gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. In 15s, she is a hard-hitting midfielder, but at the Warriors, she may find herself among the forwards. Brake and Baker represent intriguing projects for new Warriors coach Ron Griffiths, who has already won two NRLW crowns with Newcastle Knights. Most of his squad have never played in the competition before - many have been plucked from domestic competition - so he has his work cut out moulding them into championship contenders in his first campaign. Teaching his rugby converts the finer points of the code will be key to his success. "We're probably a week-and-a-half in with Michaela and I think determination to succeed is probably what rings true the most," Griffiths said. "She came, as a fulltime professional athlete, into a semi-professional environment and the first day, she asked questions. "That's important - it showed everyone she wanted to invest and needed to understand what the game was about. It let people know that, if you don't know, it's ok to ask questions." Brake will probably start out on the wing, which seems a safe place to learn the positional intricacies of the game, before testing the waters at fullback or centre. Despite her abundance of sevens success, she is not putting pressure on herself to excel immediately in her new environment. "I'm not coming in here with the mindset of wanting to win all the time, because I'm so new to this game," she said. "I'm just taking it day by day, learning as much as I possibly can without putting too much pressure on myself to being the best. "I'm very fortunate to be surrounded by players who have played Kiwi Ferns and NRLW for a while now, so learning off them has been very valuable. "Also remembering I'm one of the older girls in the squad, so another purpose is to encourage these young girls to make the most of this opportunity. A lot of them have never signed a piece of paper before, so this is their first opportunity to really stamp their mark on NRLW. "I'm hoping I can help them make the most of it by being professional, making the most of the resources we have here, so for their long-term career, they're locked in for a long time with the Warriors and can play fulltime professional league for as long as they can." Brake considered following several of her sevens teammates into the 15s programme, but decided the league option fitted better into her lifestyle. "It was the perfect opportunity for me to leave the sevens nest and really test myself as a footy player," she said. "The main attraction was that I'm essentially home for a lot of it. "It was a matter of weighing up what was best for me and my career and my family, and being part of the Warriors ended up being the winning opportunity for me." Brake said the game has grown over the past few years and the fan engagement is "insane". "What the Warriors have here at Go Media Stadium is second to none, when it comes to a crowd and atmosphere here in New Zealand. I wanted to be a part of that energy with the Wahine Warriors." The Warriors women kick off their NRLW season against defending champions Sydney Roosters on 6 July across the Tasman, with their first home game against Parramatta Eels a week later. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
New Plymouth council to undertake safety audit of new cycleway
Devon Intermediate School principal Jenny Gellen says the cycleway is an accident waiting to happen. Photo: RNZ/ Robin Martin A safety audit has been ordered for a controversial cycleway that has divided opinions in New Plymouth, with a view to identify improvements that can be made to the design. Contractors began installing 4 kilometres of concrete separators for the dedicated cycleway earlier this year and most have been in place since April. The $3.8 million NZTA Transport Choices project along Devon Street West and South Road was developed in conjunction with the New Plymouth District council and fully funded through the Transport Agency. New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom said the cycleway was always going to be controversial, with submissions on the project being split 50/50 for and against. "Once construction has been completed our team will undertake a safety review to assess the new layout, feedback from road users and the views of residents living along the route. "I have asked our team to report back following that process to provide council with any options available to improve the design." Since the beginning of the installation of the concrete separators, which have been nicknamed Tim Tams due to their resemblance to the popular biscuits, there has been a flood of complaints. Residents and businesses have griped about lost car parks, motorists have hit the raised separators damaging tyres and wheel rims, and others have said they couldn't pull over to allow emergency services through because of them. NZTA director of regional relationships Linda Stewart said it was important to note the new cycleway was not yet complete. "We are not aware of any significant safety concerns with the cycleway construction at this stage. "Once it is complete any new roadway layout then has a 'transition' period where it is monitored, and adjustments or fine-tuning is carried out. Equally, road users also take a period of adjustment to new road layouts including cycleways, signalised intersections etc." Stewart said NZTA had worked closely with NPDC on the design and construction phase of the project and would continue to do so in the post-construction phase." North Taranaki Cycling Advocates member Elric Aublant says the concrete separators remind vehicles to stay in their lane. Photo: RNZ/ Robin Martin Devon Intermediate School principal Jenny Gellen, whose school was meant to benefit from the cycleway, said the concrete separators were too many in number and too large. "You'd actually have to be driving a quite high-set car, anything that's lower to the ground you're going to take out the bottom of your motor and I don't know what's going to happen to your tyres." The principal had even more serious concerns about the layout of a new pedestrian crossing at Belt Road, a short distance from Devon Intermediate, which was mainly used by West End primary school pupils. It now featured two car parks on the road side of the cycleway separator. "So, students can be standing on the pedestrian crossing with cars parked out in front of it and the students can't been seen by the cars coming down the road ... and the students have to be well out on the pedestrian crossing before they can see the cars. "I have a serious concern that that's actually an accident waiting to happen and it won't be a pretty one." Principal Jenny Gellen says she has serious concerns about road safety. Photo: RNZ/ Robin Martin North Taranaki Cycling Advocates Group member Elric Aublant rode his bike every day along South Road on his commute to town until recently moving house. He said the previous, painted-on cycling lane wasn't adequate. "Even when there was quite a decent shoulder space, there were a lot of cars running inside the bike lane, so really not giving cyclists enough space." Aublant had been back to try the new dedicated lane and liked what he saw. "And, so yes, the concrete blocks some people think it is quite an issue because people are hitting them, but I personally think it's a good separation and it's actually forcing drivers to stick to their lane and share the road with other users. "And, yeah, it's a much more safe, more pleasant commute on that road now." He hoped that as people became more familiar with the cycle lanes more would get back on their bikes and try them out. Emergency services providers had a mixed views on the cycleway separators. FENZ Taranaki district manager David Utumapu said it made its concerns known during the submissions process. "We advised the council that we were concerned that traffic might not be able to clear the lane when an emergency vehicle is behind them. "It seems to us that people are not always sure what to do when we're behind them, and few seem willing to drive over the lane separators, leaving a narrow gap on the centreline for our trucks to use." Police did not raise concerns about the cycle lane separators and Hato Hone St John area operations manager Blair Walton said it took part in the 2023 public consultation on their installation and "had no concerns at the time". "As it's early days we're monitoring the situation and how the new layout is working in practice." NZTA's Linda Stewart said concrete cycleway separators had been used safely internationally and in New Zealand. Guidance on the safe use and design of separators was on its website. "To achieve the space for the cycleway, essentially one side of parking was removed. The separators effectively act as a parked car in most respects. Drivers can continue until there is a gap in the separators where it's safe to pull over and stop." Council's major projects and planning manager Andrew Barron said the cycle lane separators were designed to best-practice standards. "Similar cycleways have been installed in other cities across the country. "We understood that there would be a settling-in period as drivers get used to the changed road layout. The separators themselves are not causing the accidents. "We appreciate that previously, drivers could use the cycle lane to manoeuvre into and this ability has been removed to increase the safety of cyclists." Barron said the approved designs allowed most cars, as well as emergency vehicles, the ability to negotiate them as the road width had in most instances stayed the same. "The separators are low enough for most cars to straddle without them hitting the bottom of the car." Construction of the cycleway was due to be complete later this month. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
