Latest news with #RUNITChampionshipLeague
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Family of teenager who died playing ‘run it straight' make heartbreaking revelation
The family of Ryan Satterthwaite, who tragically died from injuries sustained in a backyard 'run it straight' game, has revealed the teenager and his friends got the idea to play the game after seeing it online. For years the 'run it straight' trend has sporadically gone viral on social media platforms. But in recent months it has transformed from a viral social media trend to a fully-fledged sport, with 'Run it Straight Official' and 'RUNIT Championship League' turning it into a business and holding competitions in Australia and New Zealand. The sport involves four rounds of players charging at each other along a 10m grass runway, with each competitor taking turns carrying a rugby 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 knocked out or concussed. If both players remain standing at the end of four rounds, a judging panel decides the winner, with the key criteria judged being damage to your opponent. But the 'sport' has been controversial due to the violent nature of some of the tackles, as leading neuroscientists warn 'people will die'. And that grave warning has now rang true, with Kiwi teenager Ryan Satterthwaite dying from what was described as an 'innocuous' tackle playing a backyard game of 'run it straight' on the weekend. According to Ryan's uncle, Peter Satterthwaite, his nephew and his friends decided to try it at a 21st birthday celebration on Sunday after seeing the big hits 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. Footage of the tackle that resulted in the injuries that would later take the life of Ryan, was given to police. The video of the tackle in question reportedly didn't even hit his head, instead it was the jolting motion of the hit that proved fatal. Satterthwaite says in the aftermath of the game, his nephew was coherent and talking with his friends but soon deteriorated at a rapid rate. An ambulance was called to the home in Palmerston North but he went downhill at such a rate, his friends decided they couldn't wait for it to arrive, rushing him to Palmerston North Hospital. By the time they arrived Ryan had lost consciousness due to the swelling on his brain. He would never wake up. Dr Alan Pearce warns 'it will happen again' Leading sports neuroscientist Dr Alan Pearce told that it was sadly 'only a matter of time' until someone died playing the sport. 'This was a matter of time really as sad as that is to say,' Dr Pearce told on Tuesday. 'The concern is that this can happen at any level. Even in the sanctioned 'run it' events someone will probably die in that at some point as well. 'It can't be done safely and when there's kids and teens that see it they like to copy what they see online, and this is something that absolutely not should be copied. 'It is the biggest please do not try this at home disclaimer if I've ever seen one'. That message was echoed by Satterthwaite, who told Stuff: 'We can put it all out on social media that this is a silly thing to do. Don't do it but no-one's going to listen to us unless we get celebrities on board.' After the teen's death made waves RUNIT Championship League organisers released a statement saying they did 'not encourage any copying of the sport as it should only be done under the strict conditions'. 'This is tragic news and our hearts go out to the family and friends of Ryan. 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.' But that response only infuriated Peter Satterthwaite who said that they are 'dumb' if they think that would stop another fatality from happening. 'That's just their bullsh** line to justify what they're trying to do,' he continued. 'What did they think was going to happen? They'd be dumb if they thought nobody was going to get hurt. They said on the news they have a medical professional on standby. But a medical professional wouldn't have helped Ryan one little bit.' New Zealand rugby stars urge caution amid tragic death On Wednesday night, New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) issued a statement, saying: 'NZRL is not associated with nor encourages participation in any events or collision sports like Runit.' 'It's concerning to see people in these events putting themselves at risk of serious injury, and we strongly encourage our rugby league community to only participate in games or events organised or sanctioned by NZRL, our zones and districts, or our associates,' the statement continued. 'In doing so, we can control and mitigate the health and safety of all involved.' While New Zealand rugby stars urged people to not participate in the violent sport. Former All Black halfback Steve Devine told Radio NZ the game was a 'recipe for disaster' and believes it should be banned. While All Blacks star Ardie Savea admitted he had participated in something similar during his youth and said it was therefore hard to condemn it without being a hypocrite. 'It's a tough one,' Ardie Savea said at Moana Pasifika training on Thursday. 'I don't know the precautions they take in terms of the head side of things and you can see the other side and understand why they're doing it and whatnot. 'It's hard because it's kind of made me the rugby player I am – I used to do run it straights in the backyard with Bus (brother Julian Savea) – so you kind of see both sides. 'It's really hard to say, but I'd just encourage people to be safe.' New Zealand government moves to crack down on controversial spot The future of 'run it straight' now hangs in the balance in New Zealand, with the Government seeking advice on what they can do about the controversial sport. Sport NZ group chief executive Raelene Castle told the New Zealand Herald it was concerned about the emergence of the sport, 'which clearly comes with significant health and safety risks'. 'Both Sport NZ and High-Performance Sport NZ (HPSNZ) are committed to fostering safe and inclusive activities and events for all New Zealanders. 'We are working to facilitate a cross-agency discussion with those who have an interest in this area on what a Government approach to the operation of combat sport, including the emergence of activities and events like run it straight, in New Zealand could look like.' Castle strongly advised people against participating in run it or any activities that encourage high-speed collisions. While New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon labelled Satterthwaite's death an 'absolute tragedy' on Friday morning and said competing in the viral trend was 'a dumb thing to do'. 'When it's happening at a 21st birthday party unofficially, that is not something the Government can solve through legislation or through regulation,' Luxon said. 'All I can say to young adults who are participating is you've got some personal responsibility in this. You're hearing the advice from the police, from the medical fraternity, from the Government, from principals saying don't do it. 'To the adults that are involved in the 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.'
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Warriors distance themselves from 'run it straight'
Robbie Tuluatua competes against Tonga Siaila Liuaki during the RUNIT Championship League in Auckland on May 19. The rugby league community is ensuring they distance themselves from the controversial new collision trend known as 'run it straight.' Calls are growing louder to ban the game in the wake of a teenager's death in Palmerston North. Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, died after suffering a catastrophic head injury while playing a version of the game. Though several copycat leagues have appeared, the pre-eminent and most popular is the RunIt Championship League. Current Warriors halfback Chanel Harris-Tavita has appeared in promotions for RunIt, advertised as a 'special guest' for the first night of trials in Auckland. When RNZ contacted the club for comment, a spokesman insisted the Warriors had nothing to do with the organisation. Coach Andrew Webster said he is not across the new collision craze. "I'm not a social media man, so I don't know too much about it." Asked whether it could affect perceptions of the NRL, Webster said he didn't want to make an uneducated statement. "I honestly don't know enough about it, any contact sport should be done in a safe environment, but I'm focused on our game." Former Warrior and current club mentor Manu Vatuvei spoke at the second night of trials. "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. Other notable athletes to have previously endorsed RunIt include current UFC light heavyweights Carlos Ulberg and Navajo Stirling. Saveatama Eroni Clarke. Photo: supplied 'Too much risk involved' - Former All Black Former All Black Saveatama Eroni Clarke, the Pasifika engagement manager for NZ Rugby told RNZ's Checkpoint programme today that Satterthwaite's death was a tragedy. Regulations that focus on health and safety need to be put in place, he said. His message to young people is: "Don't do it, there's too much risk involved, we've seen now the extreme of it and the high risk that it brings - head trauma and other things that it brings as well." "I think about my own children and I think about Caleb and I'm thinking about his brothers and I'm thinking well certainly if there is a contact sport that I want them to play it's rugby." Young people who want to play a contact sport should join rugby, where there is good coaching and safety is in mind, he said. His message to high profile players is: "We can't be seen to support something like this."
Rhyl Journal
4 days ago
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
New Zealand teenager dies imitating collision ‘sport' trending on social media
Ryan Satterthwaite suffered a head injury on Sunday while playing a backyard game with friends in the North Island city of Palmerston North, police said. He died on Monday as a result of his injuries. Area police commander Inspector Ross Grantham described Mr Satterthwaite's death as 'a huge tragedy' and urged others to 'consider the significant safety and injury risks' of the game which is known as RUNIT or RUNIT Straight. 'A young man lost his life as a result of participating in what I understand to be a social media frenzy,' Mr Grantham said. 'While this is not a criminal matter, police will continue to undertake inquiries on behalf of the coroner.' Mr Grantham said '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'. '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 added. RUNIT is based loosely on the contact elements of rugby union, rugby league or the NFL and involves two competitors, a runner and a tackler, running at each other and colliding on a 20-metre by four-metre (65ft by 13ft) area known as a battlefield. Organisers have promoted the event as 'the world's fiercest new collision sport'. The game has grown in social media popularity through the Australian RUNIT Championship League which offers cash prizes to competitors. Two trial events in Auckland in recent weeks saw eight men compete for 20,000 New Zealand dollars (£8,800) in front of more than 1,000 spectators. Winners were expected to go into a championship event next month with prize money of up to 250,000 New Zealand dollars (£110,000). Two other events in Auckland were cancelled when organisers were unable to obtain permits. The RUNIT Championship League released a statement to the New Zealand news website Stuff on Tuesday, saying it 'does not encourage any copying of the sport as it should only be done under the strict conditions'. 'This is tragic news and our hearts go out to the family and friends of Ryan. 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,' it read. RUNIT has been strongly condemned by experts in head injuries who say competitors run a high risk of a serious brain injury.
Leader Live
4 days ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
New Zealand teenager dies imitating collision ‘sport' trending on social media
Ryan Satterthwaite suffered a head injury on Sunday while playing a backyard game with friends in the North Island city of Palmerston North, police said. He died on Monday as a result of his injuries. Area police commander Inspector Ross Grantham described Mr Satterthwaite's death as 'a huge tragedy' and urged others to 'consider the significant safety and injury risks' of the game which is known as RUNIT or RUNIT Straight. 'A young man lost his life as a result of participating in what I understand to be a social media frenzy,' Mr Grantham said. 'While this is not a criminal matter, police will continue to undertake inquiries on behalf of the coroner.' Mr Grantham said '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'. '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 added. RUNIT is based loosely on the contact elements of rugby union, rugby league or the NFL and involves two competitors, a runner and a tackler, running at each other and colliding on a 20-metre by four-metre (65ft by 13ft) area known as a battlefield. Organisers have promoted the event as 'the world's fiercest new collision sport'. The game has grown in social media popularity through the Australian RUNIT Championship League which offers cash prizes to competitors. Two trial events in Auckland in recent weeks saw eight men compete for 20,000 New Zealand dollars (£8,800) in front of more than 1,000 spectators. Winners were expected to go into a championship event next month with prize money of up to 250,000 New Zealand dollars (£110,000). Two other events in Auckland were cancelled when organisers were unable to obtain permits. The RUNIT Championship League released a statement to the New Zealand news website Stuff on Tuesday, saying it 'does not encourage any copying of the sport as it should only be done under the strict conditions'. 'This is tragic news and our hearts go out to the family and friends of Ryan. 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,' it read. RUNIT has been strongly condemned by experts in head injuries who say competitors run a high risk of a serious brain injury.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Teenager dies after taking part in rugby-inspired ‘Run it Straight' craze
Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, has died as a result of his injuries - Instagram 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. Advertisement 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.' Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. 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. Advertisement '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. Advertisement '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.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
