Latest news with #PalmerstonNorth
News.com.au
8 hours ago
- Health
- News.com.au
‘Wouldn't put my kids in it': SBW apologises for promoting Run it Straight after New Zealand tragedy
Sonny Bill Williams has apologised for sharing a video promoting 'Run it Straight' just days after a teenager in New Zealand died while playing a similar game with friends. One of the modern game's hardest hitters, Williams played in the pre and post shoulder charge NRL era, and there are plenty of videos on social media of his most brutal tackles. One user found a clip from 2004 of Williams putting a big hit on Penrith's Joel Clinton. Williams shared the footage, to his 1.5 million followers with the caption: 'Playing run it straight before it was called run it straight…' The 39-year-old later apologised after being made aware of the tragedy that took place in New Zealand earlier in the week. Nineteen year old Ryan Satterthwaite died on Monday night after suffering a head injury while playing a private game of 'run it straight' with friends in Palmerston North. Satterthwaite's uncle said he was inspired to give the viral online craze a try after seeing clips of it on social media. 'I put a video up last night, and I just want to ask for forgiveness of the young fulla that passed away,' Williams said in a follow up Instagram story on Saturday. 'Please excuse me for my insensitivity. 'I did not know that had happened. 'I want to talk about it for a second right now. 'I've been asked to collab with the Run it Straight people, or a couple of people, and I haven't. 'Simply because I wouldn't put my kids in it. 'I have safety concerns, and that's just my thoughts on it.' 'Run it straight' has exploded in popularity over the last five months, with videos of big collisions going viral on social media. The new 'sport' has proved controversial though, with dozens of concussion experts, former players, mental health professionals and even Prime Minister of New Zealand condemning the controversial game. Although he has his reservations, Williams believes the trend will continue. 'I'd like weight classes and rules around head contact, but also age and experience classes as well,' he said. 'It's gonna carry on, because people love it. It's entertainment. 'But I'd like to see some heavily controlled safety restrictions come in. 'Once again to the family, my love and regards go out to you guys.' Run it Straight touts itself as the world's newest combat sport. It sees two competitors - one attacker with a rugby ball, and one defender - run directly at each other from opposite ends of a 20m 'battlefield.' The huge collisions have seen scary knockouts, concussions and, in one instance, left a man convulsing on the ground. Run it Straight has been widely criticised for the obvious concussion dangers, and several planned events in New Zealand have been cancelled.
RNZ News
a day ago
- General
- RNZ News
Sirens, choppers, burnouts reported in Levin, one year on from violent boy racer conflict
Events a year ago this weekend turned violent, with confrontations between a large crowd and police in Levin. Photo: NZ Police / Supplied Levin residents say police and hoons are already out in force on the anniversary of earlier conflict. Last year, a gathering of more than 200 people and cars in Levin turned violent on Saturday 1 June, with a crowd blocking the town's main street, and officers reporting projectiles thrown at them. A year later, on Friday night, "riot police" had closed State Highway 1 through central Levin, the administrator of popular Facebook page Traffic Fox said. Video showed police standing in formation with shields and body armour, across the highway at the central Queen Street and Oxford Street shops, with multiple sirens heard and many thick dark tyre skid marks seen in circles on the intersection in front of them. "At around 10pm, hundreds of car enthusiasts, or "boy racers" converged on Levin and tried to close off the main highway doing burnouts and skids, police were prepared and stopped a lot of it," the Traffic Fox administrator said. "Yet bottles were smashed, rubber was laid, a couple of people were arrested for carrying weapons, riot police were out in force, cars were rammed etc. Even the Police Eagle helicopter was brought down from Auckland!" Much of the group had left the town by about 11pm, and were heading north toward Palmerston North, she said. More than 100 comments on Levin social media groups showed locals were following the progress of the police helicopter across the town, with many reporting the helicopters were tracking boy racers. "Sounds are going hard now, from police sirens to choppers, to burn outs, to police chases ... quite uneasy for Levin locals," one person said on a local forum, shortly before 11pm, Friday. "[We] will see if this current government puts its 2025 boy racer legislation where it's mouth is," another commenter said. Stuff reported a large gathering of boy racers were expected in the town for King's Birthday Weekend, but were not wanted. Horowhenua District Mayor Bernie Wanden told Stuff the town has "had a gutsful", and did not want hoons coming back and causing "mayhem". Police were aware of the event and had plans and resources to respond, he said. Police did not respond to RNZ's request for comment. Earlier this month, the government announced stiffer punishments for those convicted of offences related to boy-racing, and for drivers who fail to stop for police. Those caught doing burnouts or taking part in unauthorised street racing or intimidating convoys faced vehicle destruction as a presumptive sentence, while fines for making excess noise from a vehicle were also raised. At the time of the announcement, Transport Minister Chris Bishop said New Zealanders were sick and tired of seeing "idiot drivers" put the community at risk. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
Teenager dies after taking part in ‘dumb' viral rugby-style tackle game
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has added his voice to widespread condemnation of a viral rugby tackle challenge, following the death of a teenager from a head injury. Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, died in Palmerston North on Monday after participating in the "run it straight" tackle challenge with a group of friends. The challenge involves competitors running head-on at each other without protective gear, mimicking the collisions seen in rugby. The game has gained considerable traction on social media, sparking concerns about its dangerous nature. "All I can say to young adults who are participating is you've got some personal responsibility in this," Mr Luxon told local media on Friday. "You're hearing the advice from police, from the medical fraternity, from government, from principals saying don't do it. "To the adults that are involved in more formal organisation of it and are influencing it and leading this out on social media, I think you need to stop and I can't be any clearer. "The evidence is that it's a dumb thing to do and you should stop." Organised "run it straight" competitions have been held in Australia and New Zealand over the past year. The trend has attracted widespread condemnation from politicians and the New Zealand medical community, particularly those working in the field of head injuries. New Zealand Rugby, which along with the rest of the rugby world over the last decade has been looking at ways to reduce head injuries in the game, extended its condolences to Mr Satterthwaite's family in a statement earlier this week. "We urge people not to take part in run it straight games or competitions as they carry significant risk of serious injury," the statement read. "Those wanting to play contact sports should register for a school or club team and learn in a controlled and safe environment how to tackle safely and the art of evasion." Police Inspector Ross Grantham said Mr Satterthwaite's death was an 'absolute tragedy'. '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,' Mr Grantham said. '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. 'We would urge anyone thinking about taking part in a game or event like this to consider the significant safety and injury risks.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
Teenager's death sparks condemnation of viral rugby-style tackle game
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is joining a chorus of condemnation for a viral rugby tackle challenge after a teenager died from a head injury. Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, died in Palmerston North on Monday. The teenager had taken part in the 'run it straight' tackle challenge, which sees competitors with no protective gear run head-on at each other, with a group of friends. The game, which has garnered significant attention on social media, aims to imitate the collisions that occur when rugby players clash. "All I can say to young adults who are participating is you've got some personal responsibility in this," Mr Luxon told local media on Friday. "You're hearing the advice from police, from the medical fraternity, from government, from principals saying don't do it. "To the adults that are involved in more formal organisation of it and are influencing it and leading this out on social media, I think you need to stop and I can't be any clearer. "The evidence is that it's a dumb thing to do and you should stop." Organised "run it straight" competitions have been held in Australia and New Zealand over the past year. The trend has attracted widespread condemnation from politicians and the New Zealand medical community, particularly those working in the field of head injuries. New Zealand Rugby, which along with the rest of the rugby world over the last decade has been looking at ways to reduce head injuries in the game, extended its condolences to Mr Satterthwaite's family in a statement earlier this week. "We urge people not to take part in run it straight games or competitions as they carry significant risk of serious injury," the statement read. "Those wanting to play contact sports should register for a school or club team and learn in a controlled and safe environment how to tackle safely and the art of evasion." Police Inspector Ross Grantham said Mr Satterthwaite's death was an 'absolute tragedy'. '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,' Mr Grantham said. '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. 'We would urge anyone thinking about taking part in a game or event like this to consider the significant safety and injury risks.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Teen's death sparks calls to ban viral head-on tackle game inspired by American football's biggest hits
A burgeoning new sporting trend inspired by the biggest and hardest full contact hits in American football and rugby has proved deadly, and there's now calls for it to be banned. Branded by an organized league as 'the world's fiercest, new collision sport,' Run It Straight games see two people sprint directly towards each other for a high-impact collision, with no protective gear. Whoever dominates wins. Tens of thousands of dollars are offered up as prize money in organized events in New Zealand and Australia and the game has become a social media craze with teenagers trying it out at home, with fatal consequences. Ryan Satterthwaite died in hospital on Monday after a backyard challenge went tragically wrong in the small city of Palmerston North. New Zealand Police said the 19-year-old suffered a serious head injury. His uncle, Pete Satterthwaite, told CNN affiliate RNZ that Ryan was at a friend's birthday party on Saturday and decided to play a round of the game that's become so popular in New Zealand. Pete Satterthwaite said when he saw local news reports about Run It, he thought the game was a 'stupid idea' and instinctively knew that 'someone is going to get seriously hurt.' He just wasn't expecting it to be his own nephew. 'The ultimate aim is to hurt your opponent, run over the top of him … you're leading with your shoulder, leading with your head,' he said. 'Regardless of whether they have medical staff on site and everybody has a test, it's still the most stupid thing I've ever seen.' New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon urged people not to take part in the tackling game, calling it a 'dumb thing to do.' 'You're hearing the advice from police, from the medical fraternity, from government, from principals saying don't do it,' Luxon told local media on Friday, adding that organizers of formal events should stop them. 'To the adults that are involved in more formal organization of it and are influencing it and leading this out on social media, I think you need to stop and I can't be any clearer,' Luxon said. Following calls for the tackling game to be banned, New Zealand's sport minister Mark Mitchell said on Friday he had sought advice on what measures the government can take to crack down on what he labelled 'unregulated activities that pose a significant level of risk.' The Run It Straight game combines elements of American football and rugby – two sports that have tackling in common but with distinct rules to protect players. Footballers wear a helmet and thick padding to withstand high-impact tackles on the whole body except the head and knees. Rugby players take the field without helmets and with no, or little, padding, while tackles are only allowed below the shoulders. The new game has been popularized in part by by a company called RUNIT Championship League, which says the game was 'born to go viral' and claims to have 'taken social media by storm with tens of millions of views.' CEO and owner Charizma, whose real name is Christian Lesa, says the concept started when he was hospitalized and struggling with mental health, according to an interview with Australian public broadcaster ABC. Lesa said he was inspired by YouTuber Donald De La Haye, nicknamed 'Deestroying,' a Costa Rican-American professional football player who would pit players 1-on-1 for viral clicks. He replicated the concept in Australia and the tournament-like event has spread across New Zealand and the Pacific islands. As followers and subscribers grew on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, RUNIT began hosting championships where participants bull run into each other and the last one standing takes home a cash prize. The finals of the RUNIT league were scheduled in June with 200,000 New Zealand dollars (around $118,800) up for grabs. Run It Straight-type collisions are more than five times the force of a rugby tackle, according to Professor Patria Hume from Auckland University of Technology, who warned there was a high risk of brain injury or death. 'Ryan's death was preventable. It was a backyard copycat of the Runit events which have been designed for social media impact,' Hume said. 'Runit lacks the structure, safety protocols, and purpose of traditional sports. While rugby, boxing, and MMA are inherently physical, they are governed by rules designed to minimize harm and protect athletes.' Stacey Mowbray, CEO of brain injury organization Headway, told CNN the trending game is not a sport, adding it's 'just reckless, glorified violence.' 'We raised the alarm in New Zealand when we heard about the Run It Straight challenge, warning of the high risk of brain injury or death. Social media was used to target our young with a message that this was a bit of fun. It is not. It is deadly,' Mowbray told CNN. 'It's not about the head hitting the ground, it's the impact,' she said. A RUNIT Championship League spokesperson said in a statement that it does not encourage 'any copying of the sport' saying it should only be done under 'strict conditions.' '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 during and after competition,' they told CNN. Alarm bells had already been ringing about the game before the death of Ryan Satterthwaite. Two men were knocked unconscious, with one of them going into a seizure, during a Runit league event at Auckland's Trusts Arena last week. Lynette Adams, interim CEO of the Trusts Arena, told CNN in a statement that 'there has been overwhelming concern for the high-risk nature of Runit style events.' 'Safety of all participants at our venue is paramount and we therefore made the decision not to allow any future Runit events to take place at The Trusts Arena.' High-contact sports like rugby and rugby league are hugely popular in New Zealand and the death of Satterthwaite has put pressure on sporting bodies to take a stronger stance on the Run It Straight trend. New Zealand Rugby issued a statement warning people 'not to take part in Run It Straight games or competitions as they carry significant risk of serious injury.' 'Those wanting to play contact sports should register for a school or club team and learn in a controlled and safe environment how to tackle safely and the art of evasion,' the statement said. A number of New Zealand schools have moved to ban students from playing the game on school grounds and it has also been banned from some public parks in the country's biggest city, Auckland, by a local council board. David Bovey, rector of Palmerston North Boys' High School which Ryan Satterthwaite attended several years ago, said he had been planning to warn his students about the risks of playing Run It Straight on campus before he heard about Ryan's death. 'It's an absolute tragedy… you can almost say something like this was almost going to happen,' Bovey told RNZ, adding he received the news just 20 minutes before he was due to address the students on Monday. 'Teenage boys are terrible at thinking about consequences and they never think anything is going to happen to them and so, you know, something like this I think really hit home in terms of the message we are trying to give the boys – 'this is something I shouldn't be doing.''
