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Herald Sun
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Concussion expert condemns ‘Run It Straight' as barbaric blood sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News. Exclusive: A leading concussion expert has slammed the self-styled sport Run It Straight as 'barbaric' and said it has no place in a civilised society. A social media phenomenon, Run It Straight involves participants sprinting into each other with one carrying a football. New Zealand teen Ryan Satterthwaite died from injuries sustained during an impromptu game with friends. Despite widespread backlash, official competitions are emerging on both sides of the Tasman, drawing hundreds to watch combatants on what one 'Championship League' describes as a 20m x 4m 'battlefield', where 'victory belongs to the one who dominates the collision'. Olympic hero and Australian Sports Commission chief executive Kieren Perkins has spoken out against this 'dangerous activity', while Melbourne Storm's Nelson Asofa-Solomona has parted ways with the most high-profile of several outfits organising these official 'challenges'. But that organisation, RUNIT, insists the controversial craze is 'here to stay'. Adrian Cohen, the founding CEO of concussion assessment program Headsafe, said he viewed Run It Straight as 'an activity designed to create a brain injury'. 'I'm hard-pressed to think of a more dangerous pursuit,' he said. 'Perhaps being shot out of a cannon.' Dr Cohen, a former senior lecturer at Sydney University, sits on the advisory board of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, the medical advisory panel of the NSW Combat Sports Authority, and helped create the Australian Sports Brain Bank. Asked if he was surprised by the online popularity of Run It Straight, he replied: 'I'm not, in the same way people thought 2000 years ago that going down to the Colosseum on a Saturday afternoon to watch some Christians being fed to the lions sounded like a good day out. As a culture, we have a history we should not be particularly proud of in enjoying blood sports. 'The idea that we should be creating new ones with what we know about brain health and about the dangers, it's absolutely ludicrous.' Dr Cohen said a major concern was a lack of regulation. 'Unfortunately, this is not a sport and it's certainly not a combat sport that comes under their legislation. So, as a society, we need to look at this and decide it's a bad idea,' he said. 'I don't know who in the government is prepared to put up their hand and say that's the case but if they did there'd be a lot of people that would agree with them, not least the parents and friends of this poor kid in NZ.' A spokesman for NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper said: 'We can't legislate against every bad idea. If you want to play contact sport, sign up to your local club so you can learn to play in a safe environment'. Mr Perkins said Run It Straight did not align with 'any of our advice when it comes to protecting Australians from concussions and brain injuries'. 'We want all young people to stay active, but it must be done in a safe way. Let's hope, for the sake of our community, this activity is a phase that is quickly moved on from.' Dr Cohen said the risk attached to major collisions was not always well understood. 'There is no such thing as a tough brain,' he warned. 'And concussions don't just happen from a blow to the head but from energy transferred from a blow anywhere – the head or the body – to the head. 'You can also have a second impact if the head is hitting the ground. So someone's just got to say we don't need this.' Michael Bramble, a father of two boys who has connections to Hunters Hill Rugby Club, has major concerns. 'It's just an unsafe risk that kids should not be taking,' Mr Bramble, whose sons are aged three and five, said. 'If my son came home and said he wanted to take part in the challenge, I'd sit down and have a stern conversation with him about why it's unsafe. I'd be quite worried. 'These kinds of online challenges are a real danger, especially when people don't understand the risks.' He said junior rugby clubs worked hard to provide safe, structured environments. 'At this age, kids start with no contact,' he said. 'As they develop, they're slowly introduced to key aspects like tackling, but only when ready.' While it has racked up tens of millions of views since taking off online earlier this year, the phenomenon has more critics than fans. But the controversy has not deterred Melbourne-based RUNIT, which has distanced itself from the fatal tragedy. 'We do not encourage any copying of the sport as it should only be performed under the strict conditions,' a RUNIT spokesman said. 'RUNIT will continue to educate our followers on the risks associated.' RUNIT founder Rennie Lautolo-Molimau also wrote 'We're here to stay' in an Instagram story on Wednesday. Asofa-Solomona was heavily involved in the early days of RUNIT, appearing in a promotional video in February and attending a trial event with teammates Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jahrome Hughes and Will Warbrick in March. While Asofa-Solomona has since parted ways with RUNIT over safety concerns, promotional material featuring him and his teammates remains online. Asofa-Solomona is now promoting a much safer competition called 'Big Steppa'. A spokesman for the Storm, which is not involved with RUNIT, said Papenhuyzen, Hughes and Warbrick had only attended one event to support Asofa-Solomona. The NRL declined to comment on RUNIT, while Rugby Australia said it wanted 'absolutely nothing to do with it.' Originally published as 'Barbaric': Viral social media craze slammed as after teen's death
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Melbourne City edge crosstown rivals to win A-League title
MELBOURNE: Forward Yonatan Cohen proved the hero as Melbourne City claimed the bragging rights over crosstown rivals Melbourne Victory with a 1-0 victory to lift the A-League title on Saturday. In front of a sell-out crowd of 29,902 at AAMI Park, Cohen scored in the 10th minute before the disciplined City shut down Victory with gritty defending in a nerve-jangling second-half. City claimed their second title having reached the grand final for the fifth time in the last six years. "It's amazing to do it against our rivals," City defender Nathaniel Atkinson said. "We got that early goal and we knew with our defence that we could keep a clean sheet." It was a bitter disappointment for Victory, who lost at the final hurdle for the second straight season to once again fall short of equalling Sydney FC's record of five titles. "It's really tough to be in this position two years in a row," Victory defender Roderick Miranda said. "We had chances in the beginning, but in the second-half they defended really well." The powerhouse clubs had never previously met in a grand final since the A-League replaced the National Soccer League in 2005 as Australia's top football competition. The blockbuster decider was a tonic for a competition that has been mired by financial strain and declining popularity since the Covid-19 pandemic. A heavy police presence was visible before the game as opposing supporters marched through the streets and set off flares, but there were no reports of violence. Amid a febrile atmosphere inside the stadium, Victory made the early running with striker Daniel Arzani providing headaches for City's defence. But City, entering with an unbeaten eight-game streak, pounced against the run of play on their first foray forward. Max Caputo's bullet rifled off the upright and straight to Israel international Cohen, who hammered the third fastest goal in A-League grand final history. City continued to threaten on the counterattack and a powerful header from Mathew Leckie was on target until a desperate dive from goalkeeper Jack Duncan came to Victory's rescue. The tireless Arzani tried to will an equaliser for Victory, but he had little room to weave his silky skills against the swarming City defence. Cohen opened the second-half with a wickedly curling strike from the edge of the box only for Duncan to produce another outstanding full-stretched save. Tensions flared between the teams as City missed several golden opportunities to end Victory's resistance.
7NEWS
8 hours ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Melbourne City defeat rivals Victory lift A-League Men title in front of record crowd
Led by a bloodied Mathew Leckie, Melbourne City have out-scrapped fierce rivals Melbourne Victory to claim a 1-0 triumph in the A-League Men grand final and their second championship. In the first ever Melbourne derby grand final, winger Yonatan Cohen handed City the lead in the 10th minute in front of a sellout, largely pro-Victory crowd at AAMI Park. The crowd of 29,902 was a sporting record crowd at the venue. Coach Aurelio Vidmar's surprise decision to play Leckie in defensive midfield paid off as the Socceroo turned in a commanding performance. Leckie had his nose split open by an accidental boot from Zinedine Machach in the 49th minute but played on with a massive bandage around his face. He was named the Joe Marston medallist for the best player on the ground. City's defence were superb as they condemned Victory to a second consecutive grand final defeat and extended their championship drought to seven years. Victory's star winger Nishan Velupillay (ankle) failed to prove his fitness and City scored after skipper Aziz Behich nutmegged Josh Rawlins with a wonderful backheel to find Andreas Kuen. The Austrian cut back the ball for Max Caputo, whose shot hit the bar before Israeli winger Cohen drove home the rebound. In the 20th minute, Leckie desperately blocked Zinedine Machach's close-range shot. Jack Duncan made a wonderful diving save to deny Leckie in the 23rd minute before Patrick Beach denied Machach up the other end. A minute into the second half, Duncan made a terrific fingertip save to stop Cohen curling his second goal into the top corner. Max Caputo and Cohen both spurned chances to make it 2-0 late, while Victory unsuccessfully appealed for a handball penalty off German Ferreyra in the 80th minute. But Arthur Diles' charges couldn't find an equaliser.
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Soccer-Early Cohen strike earns Melbourne City A-League title in derby clash
* Yonatan Cohen's 10th minute goal wins title for City * City claim the A-League championship for the second time * Club previously won the title in 2021 MELBOURNE, - Melbourne City lifted the A-League Championship for the second time in the club's history on Saturday as a 1-0 Grand Final win over crosstown rivals Melbourne Victory secured the title for Aurelio Vidmar's side. Yonatan Cohen's 10th minute strike ensured the City Football Group-owned outfit shaded a tense all-Melbourne clash - the first derby meeting in the decider in the league's 20th season - to add the title to their only previous win in 2021. "The derby is always like this, it was always going to be physical out there," said City defender Nathaniel Atkinson. "We knew if we matched them with the fight, we could let our football do the talking, and once we got that goal we knew, with our defence, that we could keep a clean sheet." City weathered Victory's early pressure in front of almost 30,000 fans at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium to take the lead, Cohen reacting quickest to beat Jack Duncan from close range after Max Caputo's effort had come back off the crossbar. Mathew Leckie threw himself at full stretch to block a goal-bound strike from Victory's Zinedine Machach 10 minutes later to maintain the lead, and the Australia international was denied at the other end when his header was gathered on the line by Duncan. Victory, also runners-up in last year's decider, pushed to pull level before the interval, with City goalkeeper Patrick Beach diving to his right to save another Machach attempt while Roderick Miranda headed Daniel Arzani's freekick wide. Duncan had to be at his sharpest to keep out Cohen's curling effort from distance a little over a minute after the restart and, as the half approached the midway point, Caputo snatched at his attempt when he had the time and space to double the lead. Cohen should have put the result beyond doubt with 14 minutes remaining when, unmarked, the Israel international headed harmlessly across the face of the Victory goal. That miss was to prove academic as City kept their neighbours at bay to win the championship, having finished second behind Auckland FC in the regular season standings earlier this month. "It's really tough being in this position for two years in a row, but hopefully next year we can go again," said Victory captain Miranda. "They had one chance in the first half and scored and in the second half they defended really well. But this is football."
West Australian
9 hours ago
- Sport
- West Australian
City beat Victory in A-League Men derby grand final
Led by a bloodied Mathew Leckie, Melbourne City have out-scrapped fierce rivals Melbourne Victory to claim a 1-0 triumph in the A-League Men grand final and their second championship. In the first ever Melbourne derby grand final, winger Yonatan Cohen handed City the lead in the 10th minute in front of a sellout, largely pro-Victory crowd at AAMI Park. The crowd of 29,902 was a sporting record crowd at the venue. Coach Aurelio Vidmar's surprise decision to play Leckie in defensive midfield paid off as the Socceroo turned in a commanding performance. Leckie had his nose split open by an accidental boot from Zinedine Machach in the 49th minute but played on with a massive bandage around his face. City's defence were superb as they condemned Victory to a second consecutive grand final defeat and extended their championship drought to seven years. Victory's star winger Nishan Velupillay (ankle) failed to prove his fitness and City scored after skipper Aziz Behich nutmegged Josh Rawlins with a wonderful backheel to find Andreas Kuen. The Austrian cut back the ball for Max Caputo, whose shot hit the bar before Israeli winger Cohen drove home the rebound. In the 20th minute, Leckie desperately blocked Zinedine Machach's close-range shot. Jack Duncan made a wonderful diving save to deny Leckie in the 23rd minute before Patrick Beach denied Machach up the other end. A minute into the second half, Duncan made a terrific fingertip save to stop Cohen curling his second goal into the top corner. Max Caputo and Cohen both spurned chances to make it 2-0 late, while Victory unsuccessfully appealed for a handball penalty off German Ferreyra in the 80th minute. But Arthur Diles' charges couldn't find an equaliser.
