Latest news with #Manawatū
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Sonny Bill Williams and another world famous footy star send risky messages about super-violent new Aussie sport that resulted in 19-year-old's tragic death
Two of rugby's biggest names, Sonny Bill Williams and Ardie Savea, have drawn scrutiny after appearing to back a dangerous new collision sport that has left one teenager dead. It comes after New Zealand teenager Ryan Satterthwaite died following a backyard game of the controversial and violent footy-inspired sport known as RunIt or run it straight. Satterthwaite, 19, was playing a 'run it straight' game with friends when he suffered a critical head injury. The incident occurred the day after attending a 21st birthday celebration. He was rushed to hospital by his mates but tragically passed away after life support was turned off on Monday night. His uncle Peter Satterthwaite has now revealed his nephew was inspired by high-profile contests that have gone viral on social media. 'They decided to give it a go because of what they saw on social media and on the news last week about it,' Satterthwaite told Stuff. Manawatū Police Inspector Ross Grantham confirmed Satterthwaite was involved in a full-contact, unsanctioned tackle game when the injury happened. His death has intensified debate over the rising popularity of the craze. The trend, which mimics high-impact collisions from professional rugby league and rugby union, has become a dangerous internet challenge. Authorities have responded swiftly. A second RunIt event in Auckland was cancelled just one day after another was scrapped due to safety concerns. Organiser Kimami Ngaluafe, who planned the 'Up the Guts' event in Glen Innes, said the Auckland Council contacted Barfoot & Thompson Stadium and shut it down. Two previous events at Williams Park in Māngere were also cancelled after permits weren't secured and a local board intervened. Despite mounting concern, high-profile rugby figures have weighed in with mixed messages. Dual-code superstar Sonny Bill Williams appeared to make light of the issue on social media. He shared a throwback video from his 2004 NRL days with the Canterbury Bulldogs. The clip, titled 'old school what a hit,' showed Williams colliding with Penrith's Joel Clinton. 'Playing run it straight before it was called run it straight,' he joked. Meanwhile All Blacks star Ardie Savea, who won World Rugby Player of the Year in 2023, offered a more measured response. 'First and foremost, condolences to the young brother that passed away and his family,' Savea said. 'I obviously don't want anyone getting hurt and losing lives.' However, Savea then reflected on his own childhood, saying 'run it straight' helped shape his toughness. 'It's really hard to say, but I'd just encourage people to be safe.' Savea admitted he and his brother, former All Black Julian Savea, used to challenge each other in backyard games. Both the New Zealand Rugby League and New Zealand Rugby have been forced to distance themselves from the trend and events Still, he expressed uncertainty over the safety measures involved in current contests. 'I don't know the precautions they take in terms of the head side of things,' he said. 'You can see both sides.' Dr Rowena Mobbs is a neurologist who is the founder and director of the Australian CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) Biobank. She slammed the new craze and told Daily Mail Australia that it was 'not a sport'. 'It is a form of harm and it should be avoided,' she said. 'What we have is data worldwide in terms of concussion and CTE with tackling environments. Warriors not endorsing latest sporting trend The New Zealand Warriors have been forced to publicly distance themselves from run it straight events after current and former players endorsed them. Warriors halfback Chanel Harris-Tavita was promoted as a guest for one event, though the club insists it has no ties to the organisation Former Warrior and current club mentor Manu Vatuvei previously spoke about his love of the new trend. 'I know a lot of people hate it, and a lot of people love it. I'm one of those people who love it,' he said at the time. A Warriors spokesman insisted the club had nothing to do with the RunIt organisation. 'We know that a single traumatic brain injury can be devastating for an individual, leading to lifelong disability or death in some instances. This is likely to involve brain swelling or bleeding.' Dr Mobbs said Run It Straight was even more dangerous than rugby league or Aussie Rules in terms of the brain injury risk. 'In my opinion this is a higher risk scenario than contact sports like the football codes,' she said. 'That's because participants are running at full speed towards each other with a much greater force of impact than on the footy field. 'Parents who have children engaging in this form of harm need to be acutely aware that there could be serous consequences, even death.' Tana Umaga, former All Black and current Moana Pasifika coach, also weighed in on the social phenomenon. He acknowledged many of the participants are Māori and Pacific Islanders looking for an opportunity. 'They are just trying to get ahead in life,' he said. Umaga said the pursuit of prize money - such as the $20,000 won by Canterbury representative Champ Betham - might be driving some of the decisions. 'It is just about making sure that they keep themselves safe,' he said. New Zealand Rugby has taken a firmer stance. In a statement released this week, the organisation said: 'We urge people not to take part in Run It Straight games or competitions as they carry significant risk of serious injury.' The sport's governing body encouraged anyone wanting to play contact sport to join a club or school program. 'Learn in a controlled and safe environment how to tackle safely and the art of evasion,' the statement continued. New Zealand Rugby League echoed the warning. 'NZRL is not associated with nor encourages participation in any events or collision sports like RunIt,' the organisation said. The league highlighted ongoing partnerships with ACC to improve safety and reduce injury risks.
Newsroom
2 days ago
- Business
- Newsroom
Bason and eggs: Talented Taufa and her brothers' cracking rugby
Eseta Bason enjoys an abundant supply of eggs as a manager for eg. – an innovative free-range farm in Bulls that supplies 90,000 a day nationwide. But every time she goes shopping, precooked sausages and tinned fish are purchased 'just in case.' It's a cautionary habit that stretches back to a less prosperous time. When Eseta and her husband, Stephen Bason, arrived in New Zealand from Tonga in 2007, they had three children under two and a hundred pa'anga, about NZ$70 to their names. Today the Basons own a house and pig farm in Marton with eight children – three of them among the most promising rugby players in New Zealand. Their 18-year-old daughter Taufa Bason was a breakout star in Super Rugby Aupiki this season. She was a dominant presence on the Blues championship-winning team and became a contracted Black Fern after being named in a 49-strong training squad last month. Two of her brothers – hooker Vernon and loose forward Mosese – are recent captains of the New Zealand U20s. All three have already played senior rugby for Manawatū, with Taufa winning all nine matches she's played in the Farah Palmer Cup. Mosese and Vernon captured in home art. Image: Supplied All three children are or have been employed on the egg farm. Indeed, on their return from the junior world championships in South Africa last year, Vernon and Mosese were back working at the farm at 5.30am – four hours after touching down in Wellington. 'They didn't have to work that day,' laughs Nathan Williams, founder of eg. 'It's unheard of, really. The Basons are a different breed.' Williams established his free-range egg enterprise in 2020 that now employs 75 people (four of them Basons) and turns over $12 million annually. He spent decades of trial and error as the owner of the Top Pub in Greytown and Settlers Motor Lodge in Petone, and was then an operations manager at Turk's Poultry. The Basons' work ethic appeals enormously to entrepreneur Williams, who was raised in a military family. He has an innate understanding of rugby, too, as a successful local coach. Taufa Bason only persuaded her parents to allow her to play rugby after causing carnage in netball. 'When I was eight, I hit this girl and she was rolling around crying for ages. 'Hurry up, get up'. Nah, this is not for me,' Taufa recalls. 'I told Dad netball is a sport for pussies. Those were my literal words. I asked Dad, 'Can I play rugby?' Only if I could tackle my brothers, he said.' Taufa on the wall at home. Image: Supplied The damaging loose forward was the only girl selected in the intermediate-aged Manawatū boys rugby squads. A serious knee injury, which ruled her out of all rugby in Year 12 at Feilding High School, threatened to derail her progress. But last October, she scored four tries for the U18 New Zealand Barbarians in their 29-15 victory over the New Zealand Maori U18 squad, Ngā Mareikura. That display caught the eye of Matatū coach Whitney Hansen who invited Taufa – then working on the egg farm – to train with the squad. Then, when injury struck at the Blues, Taufa jumped at a chance to play in the north and was a revelation. In her first start for the Blues against Matatū, she scored two tries and then started the final in which her former team were edged, 26-19, at Eden Park. Five days later, she helped the Blues win the inaugural Super Rugby Champions clash, 36-5, against the Waratahs during a storm at North Harbour Stadium, Albany. 'It's crazy. I've never been part of an environment so friendly and a team so talented,' Taufa says. 'In the Aupiki final, Matatū had us stressing, not playing how we play. Throw in a shoulder, see what happens. Let's get some momentum, some hype. The pressure might have been what we needed.' Taufa scoring against the Matatu during round five of Super Rugby Aupiki this year. Nathan Williams is not surprised by Taufa's ascent. 'I became close to Taufa because of her brothers. She's a bundle of joy, an unbelievable rugby player who routinely chopped others in half,' he says. 'She has babysat my two children and regularly FaceTimes them now she's in Auckland. A special young lady.' From 2019 to 2021, Williams coached Feilding Yellows to three consecutive Manawatū senior Hankins Shield championships. In his last season, Feilding was 16 and 0. Brother Jamie Williams is the Wairarapa Bush rep coach. The former England Sevens international coached Old Boys University to four Jubilee Cup wins in Wellington. Their father, Kerry Williams, is a former player and premier coach for Upper Hutt and more recently, Wellington Rugby development officer for Johnsonville. In 2022, Nathan hooked up with Feilding High School, helping the First XV win two Central North Island titles. Vernon and Mosese Bason were Williams' captains, both selected in the New Zealand Secondary Schools team. In 2023, Feilding were runners-up to Rotorua Boys' at the Condor Sevens, losing the final in extra time. Williams' farm has employed several members of the Feilding First XV and other first-class players, including Manawatū Turbos players Drew Wild, Logan Henry, Julian Goerke, Kyle Brown and Griffin Culver. 'Vernon is one of the toughest players I've coached. He's not the most natural talent, but he has an immense threshold to take and dish out punishment. He's smart and pushes those others around him to be better, though his golf needs serious work,' Williams says. 'Things come more easily to Mosese. He's extremely athletic, powerful and skilled. He has a cheeky-mischievous side, which I love; it's a lot of fun off the field, but when it's time to flick a switch, he's on.' In 2024, after playing 50 out of a possible 54 games for the Fielding First XV, Mosese was awarded the prestigious DJ Graham Memorial Medal as the player of the Super Rugby U20 tournament in Taupō. The accolade, named after the former All Blacks captain and leading educator, has been won by All Blacks Luke Jacobson (2016) and Fletcher Newell (2019). This month, Mosese was part of the New Zealand team who won the U20 Rugby Championship in South Africa. He started in all three games, drawing with Australia (29-29), thrashing Argentina (75-12) and shocking South Africa (48-45). Mosese was captain against Argentina scoring two tries. In a 15-try epic against the Junior Springboks, New Zealand flipped a 19-0 deficit after a dozen minutes to prevail. 'Feilding is the home of people who don't stop working. The work ethic of the people there is unreal. People are pretty grounded and that's why I think we've had heaps of good players,' Mosese surmises. Proud parents Stephen and Eseta. Photo: Supplied His dad, Stephen Bason, was supposed to be the rugby star. The first five-eighth had attended Rotorua Boys' High School on a scholarship in 1999. At the time he was recruited, Rotorua Boys' were the reigning national champions. In the '99 season, they won 22 out of 25 games with Bason attracting the interest of French scouts. A professional contract beckoned – until disaster struck on a trip home to Tonga. 'I was in a car crash. The scars from that can still be seen on my left knee. It took me two years to walk properly again,' Stephen recalls. 'When professional rugby was over for me, I promised Dad I'd have kids who would try to fulfil that dream for me. Eseta was a great athlete in her own right. She played soccer and was a sprinter.' When Stephen returned to New Zealand in 2007 with Eseta, they worked three jobs, night and day, to raise enough money to purchase their first house. From hard labour to washing dishes, nothing was beneath them. Things were so tight, Taufa recalled walking an hour each way to school. Every Friday, Eseta would present proof of earnings to Work and Income to acquire a weekly $150 food voucher. 'That would never happen in the Islands. People are always complaining. I'm so grateful,' Eseta says. Kids kept on coming. Joining Vernon, Mosese and Taufa in the Bason family are Fono, Levi, Stephen Jr, Ashwin and Samara. It's the oldest Basons who've had the most seismic impact on Eseta and Stephen. A trip to South Africa to support their boys in the New Zealand U20s last year was previously an unfathomable prospect. 'South Africa, amazing,' Eseta enthuses. 'I went on a safari… a safari! 'Not all the parents could afford to go that far, but the ones that did were such great people with flash jobs: doctors, lawyers, consultants, and the like.' She became close friends with Leah Simpson, whose son Rico is in his second year with the NZ U20s. 'Leah's a beauty therapist in central Auckland. The sis was always telling me to do my hair when we went out. I'd tell her: 'Babe, I'm an egg farmer from Bulls!' Eseta laughs. Stephen and Eseta will head to Italy for the World U20 Junior Championships in June. Such trips are made possible with the support of Nathan Williams, whose empathy extends to his hens. Since opening his farm, Williams has exceeded current Free Range standards with 1,000 fewer hens per hectare (outside) and fewer than 9 hens per sq m (inside). His hens can dust bathe, wander and forage, leading to a better quality of egg. His business will soon expand to a production of 120,000 eggs a day. Meanwhile, Mosese recently became a father. His two-month-old daughter Layla has already held a rugby ball. P.S. The author would like to thank delivery driver Matt for a thoroughly entertaining commute from Houghton Bay to Bulls. With Bruce Springsteen blaring on the car radio, signs of a good road trip were promising. One of 18 children, he has four of his own all employed and homeowners. In five decades of driving, he's negotiated seven-foot-high waves, power outages and car crashes to deliver produce while learning where all the good truck stop cafes are. Matt's breakdown of NRL, Super Rugby Pacific and the Basons' game was full of common sense.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
British youths warned not to take part in trend after Kiwi teenager is killed in controversial game - but UK stars 'support it'
British teenagers have been warned not to take part in a dangerous trend that has led to the tragic death of a New Zealand teenager. The rugby-style tackling game has become popular online in recent months but with deadly consequences. In the game, two players charge head first towards each other over a 20-metre 'battlefield' without any protective equipment or kit. It has become a social media sensation, with organisers touting it as 'the world's fiercest new combat sport'. The aim of the game involves one player trying to tackle and take a rugby ball that their opponent is holding. The rules of the controversial game state: 'Victory belongs tot he one who dominates the collision', but for some players, it has resulted in their premature death. On Monday night a 19-year-old Kiwi man died after suffering a serious head injury in a game inspired by the controversial 'Run It Straight' trend. Ryan Satterthwaite from northern New Zealand passed away on after taking part in the full-contact collision game on Sunday afternoon. Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, (pictured) from New Zealand died after suffering a serious head injury in a game inspired by the controversial 'Run It Straight' trend Manawatū Police Inspector Ross Grantham confirmed the young man was playing an impromptu tackle game with friends when the injury occurred. He was taken to hospital by his friends, but could not be saved. The game has been championed by former England rugby player George Burgess, 33 who won £9,500 after competing in a tournament in Australia, according to The Mirror. Burgess who played his last game in the NRL for St George Illawarra three years ago and won 15 caps for England between 2013 and 2018, squared off against giant former winger, Nadolo, who stands at a towering 195cm and weighs approximately 136kg. Nadolo, who was born in Fiji, was capped 30 times for his home country, scoring a whopping 206 points and was renowned for his physicality. Neuroscientist Dr Helen Murray has called the game unacceptably risky. '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.' Run It Straight's founder, Christian Lesa, said community support remains strong despite backlash and stated the game should only be played under strict conditions. Sports star 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. He claimed it gives former athletes a chance to 'get off the couch' and reconnect with their competitive spirit.
Scoop
5 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Kāpiti Coast Water Services To Stay With District Council
Kāpiti Coast residents will continue to have their water services delivered by the District Council, in keeping with the strong community support for this model shared during the Council's recent consultation. Mayor Janet Holborow said Council felt the benefits of teaming up with other councils to deliver drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services did not stack up for Kāpiti ratepayers and residents at this time. 'Kāpiti has a great track record of strategic investment and excellent management of our water delivery services. This was endorsed by our consultation which showed 94 percent of submitters want us to keep their water services delivery with the council. 'Right now, we don't see any benefits to our community of joining up with other councils who are still facing the need to spend on big-ticket items like water meters and major wastewater treatment plant upgrades,' Mayor Holborow said. Under the Government's Local Water Done Well policy the Council was required to consult on two options: a joint council-owned arrangement with Manawatū, Horowhenua, and Palmerston North councils ('The Four') that would be independently governed, or the current in-house model but with water services delivery ring-fenced from the rest of council operations ('The One'). Manawatū District Council recently voted to continue to deliver their own water services in-house, pulling out of 'The Four'. This reduced the potential financial benefits for Kāpiti joining with Horowhenua and Palmerston North, Mayor Holborow said. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading 'We've looked at financial modelling which shows costs to consumers in the joint four-council model could even out in about 20 years, but that's by no means guaranteed. With Manawatū no longer in the mix, it further reduces the opportunities for economies of scale in the joint model,' she said. 'We also think there's still too much uncertainty about the additional set-up costs or the ability of our council to influence the governance and pricing in a joint model,' Mayor Holborow said. 'It's important to note that today's decision does not preclude us from exploring other water service delivery models in the future but for now we remain focussed on ensuring local priorities are upheld and we meet the Government's requirement to provide a Water Services Delivery Plan to the Department of Internal Affairs by 3 September this year.' Council made its decision at a special meeting today. Mayor Holborow acknowledged the collaboration between the four councils and thanked the community for engaging in the consultation.
RNZ News
7 days ago
- RNZ News
One dead in Manawatū truck crash
The Serious Crash Unit has been notified. Photo: siwakorn / 123RF A person has died in a truck crash in Manawatū. Police say it happened on Number 1 Line, Longburn at around 9:20am Sunday. Efforts were underway to remove the truck from the scene. The Serious Crash Unit has been notified. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
