Latest news with #Manawatu
Telegraph
27-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Teenager dies after taking part in rugby-inspired ‘Run it Straight' craze
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. 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.' 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. 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. @leveluprugby Wait for the second collision… 😳💥🏉 What do you think of the Run It comp??? 😳🤔🤕 #runit #runitstraight #nandolovsburgess #leveluprugby ♬ original sound - Level Up Rugby 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. '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. '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.'
RNZ News
27-05-2025
- RNZ News
Teen dies after suffering injuries after playing 'tackle game'
A teenager is dead after being critically injured while playing a version of a full contact collision game being promoted on social media. 19 year old Ryan Satterthwaite suffered a serious head injury after playing the tackle game with friends in Palmerston North on Sunday afternoon. He was taken to hospital by friends but he died there on Monday. Police say the tackle game played by the group was based on a social media-driven trend, where participants compete in full-contact collisions without protective gear. Manawatu Area Commander, Inspector Ross Grantham spoke to Lisa Owen. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
News.com.au
27-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Teenager, 19, dies playing ‘run it straight' as grave fears about newest combat sport realised
A teenager has died during a private 'run it straight' game as the grave consequences of Australia and New Zealand's hottest new contact sport is realised. The 19-year-old man was critically injured while playing an impromptu tackle game with friends on Sunday afternoon in Palmerston North, New Zealand. He was taken to hospital by friends but passed away on Monday night. The teenager has been identified the teenager as Ryan Satterthwaite. Manawatū area commander Inspector Ross Grantham said the tackle game played by the group of friends was based on 'run it straight', the controversial sport sweeping the southern hemisphere. 'While this was an impromptu game among friends, not a planned event, this tragic outcome does highlight the inherent safety concerns with such an activity,' he said. 'We would urge anyone thinking about taking part in a game or event like this to consider the significant safety and injury risks.' 'RUNIT' has become an online viral sensation over the past few months, and has attracted tens of millions of views on various social media platforms. Videos of the heavy collisions started doing the rounds on social media in January, with 'Run it Straight Official' and 'RUNIT Championship League' turning the trend into a business. But the sport has been controversial due to the violent nature of some of the tackles, which by the rugby league textbook would see a player cop a several-week ban. The sport involves four rounds of players charging at each other along a 10m grass runway, with each competitor taking turns carrying a rugby league ball. The objective is to either successfully tackle the opponent or run them over in a hard-hitting collision. The contest ends when a player is either knocked out or concussed. If both competitors are still standing and have their wits about them after four rounds, a set of judges decide the winner, with the main criteria they are judging being damage. But the teenager's death is a grave reminder of the risks involved in competing in the dangerous sport. It also comes after two men were knocked out and required medical attention during a Run It Straight competition at Auckland's Trust Arena last week. As the sport continues to take off spoke to leading sports neuroscientist Dr Alan Pearce who was baffled at why people would be willing to take the risks. 'I just cannot understand how they could take the most violent aspect of sport (contact) and just turn it into a spectacle where the objective is just to try and knock out or hurt your opponent,' Dr Pearce told earlier this year. 'In a lot of these other sports (such as NRL, AFL and rugby union) you're trying to avoid direct contact whereas this is purely running at each other, it's insanity.' With the latest incident a lot of questions will be asked over why people choose to participate, and Dr Pearce hypothesised it may be down to the notion traditional sports have 'gone soft', something he says has been falsely peddled for years. 'A lot of these people competing have a footy background and if anything it's worse as they have already likely had several head knocks which add up a lot quicker than people realise,' Dr Pearce said. 'Then there's the idea that (contact) sport is getting soft. But that's incorrect, it is actually getting far harder as the athletes are now bigger, stronger and faster than ever before, just look at the injury lists every week. 'We are seeing at all levels of the game higher injury rates but yet people are still complaining that sports are getting soft because we're trying to crack down on things that are causing damage to our brains and bodies.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Teenager dead after taking part in latest collision sport that health experts want BANNED for being too dangerous
A 19-year-old New Zealand man has died after suffering a serious head injury in a game inspired by the controversial 'Run It Straight' trend. Ryan Satterthwaite from Palmerston North passed away on Monday night after taking part in the full-contact collision activity on Sunday afternoon. Manawatū Police Inspector Ross Grantham confirmed the young man was playing an impromptu tackle game with friends when the injury occurred. He was rushed to hospital by his mates, but could not be saved. 'This was an impromptu game among friends, not a planned event,' Grantham told the NZ Herald. 'While this is not a criminal matter, police will continue to make inquiries on behalf of the Coroner.' The tackle format, based on the rising 'Run It Straight' phenomenon, involves two people charging at each other with no protective gear. It has become a social media sensation, with organisers touting it as 'the world's fiercest new combat sport.' One defender and one runner meet at high speed on a narrow 20-metre field. 'Victory belongs to the one who dominates the collision,' the sport's website claims. Despite the hype, the death has sparked renewed calls for the sport to be banned. Health professionals say the event ignores decades of head injury prevention research. Neuroscientist Dr Helen Murray called it an unacceptable risk. 'There is clearly a high risk of head injury in this event. There's no attempt to reduce head acceleration, so I do not support it,' she told the NZ Herald. Professor Patria Hume, an expert in sports science and injury prevention, said the sport is 'a step backwards.' 'This is a reckless and dangerous spectacle,' she said. 'The science is clear – repeated head impacts increase risk of long-term brain damage.' Australian neurologist Dr Alan Pearce echoed that sentiment. 'It's insanity. You're removing the skill and strategy and replacing it with blunt force.' Run It Straight-style events have recently been staged in Auckland and Melbourne, drawing significant crowds and online attention. At one recent Auckland event, three of eight competitors left injured, including two with concussion symptoms. Clips of brutal hits and knockouts have gone viral, fuelling online popularity. But the death of Ryan Satterthwaite has thrown a sharp spotlight on safety. His name has since been shared widely online, with tributes flowing from friends and family. 'Rest easy brother Ryan Satterthwaite,' one wrote. Another added: 'So sorry to hear this, especially for the beautiful family I know going through this tragic event.' Satterthwaite worked at Mainfreight Transport in Palmerston North and was described as kind and humble. Meanwhile, a planned Run It Straight event in Auckland was cancelled after organisers failed to secure permits. Local board chair Tauanu'u Nick Bakulich said safety fears played a key role in the decision. 'The local board opposes this event for reasons of safety,' he said. Organisers had not applied to Auckland Council for formal approval. Auckland Council later confirmed that the event would likely not have been approved. Run It Straight's founder, Christian Lesa, said community support remains strong despite backlash. 'When the community's there, loving it like I do, it means a lot,' he said. But many experts remain concerned about the risks. Dr Pearce said hundreds of retired footballers now suffer the effects of brain trauma. 'To take the most violent aspect of sport and glorify it – I was speechless,' he said. Despite criticism, some athletes and public figures have endorsed the event. Former NRL star George Burgess defended the concept, calling it a safe simulation of past combat. Event spokesperson Billy Coffey said organised competitions involve waivers, pre- and post-medicals, and on-site ambulances.
RNZ News
13-05-2025
- RNZ News
Dean Mulligan maintains innocence over 2010 killing of Marice McGregor
He's now eligible for release and this week went before the Parole Board for the first time on Monday. Photo: RNZ/Marika Khabazi After 15 years in custody, a man convicted of bludgeoning a woman to death in a remote rural ravine continues to maintain his innocence. Dean Richard Mulligan was sentenced to life in jail, with a minimum term of 15 years, after being found guilty of murdering Marice 'Katrina' McGregor. He's now eligible for release and this week went before the Parole Board for the first time on Monday - 15 years to the day since McGregor's body was found. He didn't seek parole, but was firm in his continued denials of the killing, saying he's filed with the Criminal Cases Review Commission. The board questioned Mulligan about his history of not telling the truth, something the former computer technician, from Feilding in Manawatū, said was previously the result of a lack of self-esteem. However, he said he was not lying when he said he was innocent of McGregor's murder. For about an hour the Parole Board probed Mulligan at a hearing, which RNZ attended. When sentencing Mulligan in 2011, Justice Denis Clifford didn't mince his words. The judge said he was a pathological liar and a fantasist, who in saying he wasn't guilty had shown no remorse. During his trial in Whanganui, the court heard Mulligan met McGregor online, and during the pair's two-year relationship had drained her bank account of about $30,000. He believed he would get the rest of her money and her house if she died. After McGregor threatened to tell Mulligan's wife about their relationship, he killed her in a remote spot off State Highway 4, about 50 kilometres north of Whanganui on 19 April, 2010. Mulligan struck her three blows with an iron bar. Her body wasn't found for weeks. At his trial, Mulligan said he was innocent and the real killer had threatened him into making a false confession, a confession he later recanted. Mulligan had searched online for "hard hit to back of head" hours before McGregor was killed, but he told police that was after he'd knocked his own head - although his version of events changed. This week he told the board McGregor had access to his computer at the time, so could have made the search. Mulligan denies the pair were in a relationship. In 2013, the Court of Appeal rejected Mulligan's bid for a retrial. The Parole Board wasted no time in asking the question: does Mulligan maintain his innocence? "I still deny doing the murder," he said. Board member Susanna Every-Palmer asked Mulligan what involvement he had in the killing. Mulligan said the day McGregor died she asked him over to her place to chop firewood, but he was reluctant as he felt she was growing dependent on him and he said he didn't feel comfortable there. The pair travelled to the remote spot where McGregor died. There, she talked to a man aged in his 20s. "That's when I saw what happened," Mulligan said, referring to the man striking McGregor with a weapon. The man then climbed up the bank and told Mulligan not to tell anyone, otherwise there would be trouble. Another man was also there too. Mulligan said as McGregor wasn't responsive he knew she was dead, so there was no need to seek help for her, and the threats against him kept him silent. During his appeal in 2013, Mulligan said a man called Phil Morrison killed McGregor and another man, Max Twedale, sexually abused Mulligan to force him into a relationship with McGregor. Police couldn't find anyone called Max Twedale and a Phil Morrison they spoke to had no involvement. This week, Mulligan could remember Max Twedale's name, but said the other man was "Richard something". Mulligan said he filed with the Criminal Cases Review Commission about a year ago and had twice spoken to staff there over the phone. He acknowledged his continued denials wouldn't be what McGregor's family wanted to hear. Every-Palmer said Mulligan's family and even his church pastor had called him an "habitual liar". "A lot of things I lied about is because I did not want people to know what was going on within myself," Mulligan said. "I thought it was my problem not other people's problems." Mulligan was questioned about other acts of dishonesty, including in the 2000s sending his wife a threatening letter he pretended was from someone else. "I can't remember, to be honest," he said when asked what it said. In his early years in prison, Mulligan was in trouble for making false statements and fabrications, including trying to extort money from his family, saying he would be hurt if they didn't pay. He said he was influenced by others. "I was trying to fit in. I suppose that's one reason I keep to myself now, because I don't want to be in that kind of environment." Every-Palmer said Mulligan's explanations sounded like he was trying to shift blame to others. Mulligan said he used to have low self-esteem, but now had the confidence to report bad behaviour to prison staff, as he had done recently. Board member Dr Julia Ioane asked Mulligan what it was like to have people who cared about him describing him as a liar. "I never used to mind it, but now I really hate it," he said. "Quite often I felt left out on a limb for several reasons. Sometimes I lied to try to get into a group. Yes, it works sometimes, but mostly I don't think it has really worked." He worked on prison grounds, mowing lawns, and said he mainly kept to himself in his unit. A prison officer said he was doing well and, through his work, held positions of responsibility. Mulligan will next go before the Parole Board in a year. Every-Palmer said board members would like to see him receive psychological treatment. 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