Latest news with #RunIt
Scoop
4 hours ago
- Health
- Scoop
NZ's Leading Sports Clinicians Call For Ban On RunIt
Executive members of Sports Medicine New Zealand (SMNZ) are appalled at the lack of safety measures and regulations that have already lead to severe injuries, and at least one fatality, attributed to new social media event 'RunIt'. 'This activity doesn't just endanger participants, but makes a mockery of the considerable effort and investment contact sports have made on impact-readiness training, brain injury awareness, reporting and management, all in a bid to ensure the safety and well-being of athletes' says Dr Stephen Kara, National Chair of SMNZ. The biomechanics of RunIt collisions are comparable to severe car crashes. When two 105 kg participants (average body mass of rugby players) sprint towards each other, the impact force can exceed 16,800 Newtons. This force is over three times that of a professional boxer's punch and more than 1.5 times the force of falling from two meters. Such high impact collisions carry a significant risk of severe brain injury, fractures, and death. 'New Zealand is a proud sporting nation and those of us who work in the industry, committed to helping athletes achieve their best and stay healthy, are astounded that such an event can not only be permitted under the Health and Safety Act, but can even remotely call itself a 'sport'. 'RunIt is not a sport. It is jousting without sticks, and whilst that may have been a sport in medieval times, it has no place in today's sporting arenas.'
Daily Mail
7 hours 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.
RNZ News
14 hours ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Not a sport': Top NZ sports doctors call for ban on RunIt
RUNIT Auckland. Trusts Stadium. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport Some of the country's top sports doctors have joined a growing chorus calling for a ban to the social media event 'RunIt', saying the collisions between participants are comparable to car crashes. The events, in which two competitors run at each other before colliding at full speed, is growing in popularity and two men were knocked unconscious during a recent event in Auckland, with one slumping to the ground and appearing to have a seizure. A Palmerston North teenager died after taking part in a backyard version of the game. Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, died after suffering a catastrophic head injury. His uncle Pete Satterthwaite told RNZ he had been told it was a "very freak accident". He said when he saw Run It in the news, he thought it was a "stupid idea and nothing good is going to come of it, and someone is going to get seriously hurt". Former All Black Eroni Clarke, now the Pasifika Engagement Manager for NZ Rugby, has also warned against taking part in such events. He told RNZ it would be hard to ban the game, but he encouraged people to stay away and, if they wanted to take part in a contact sport, join a rugby team and receive proper coaching. RUNIT Auckland. Trusts Stadium. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport Some of Aotearoa's top clinicians also want the events banned. In a statement, Executive members of Sports Medicine New Zealand (SMNZ), said it was "appalled at the lack of safety measures and regulations that have already lead to severe injuries, and at least one fatality, attributed to new social media event 'RunIt'". Dr Stephen Kara, National Chair of SMNZ, said the biomechanics of RunIt collisions are comparable to severe car crashes. "When two 105kg participants (average body mass of rugby players) sprint towards each other, the impact force can exceed 16,800 Newtons. This force is over three times that of a professional boxer's punch and more than 1.5 times the force of falling from two meters. Such high-impact collisions carry a significant risk of severe brain injury, fractures, and death," Dr Kara said. "This activity doesn't just endanger participants, but makes a mockery of the considerable effort and investment contact sports have made on impact-readiness training, brain injury awareness, reporting and management, all in a bid to ensure the safety and well-being of athletes. "New Zealand is a proud sporting nation and those of us who work in the industry, committed to helping athletes achieve their best and stay healthy, are astounded that such an event can not only be permitted under the Health and Safety Act, but can even remotely call itself a 'sport'. "RunIt is not a sport. It is jousting without sticks, and whilst that may have been a sport in medieval times, it has no place in today's sporting arenas."
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
'Don't do it': Former All Black warns against taking part in Run It as schools act to ban viral trend
RUNIT Auckland. Trusts Stadium. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport A former All Black has answered the call of a bereaved family and spoken out about the dangers of Run It -style games. Saveatama Eroni Clarke, the Pasifika Engagement Manager for NZ Rugby, says his advice for anyone considering taking part is simple: "Don't do it". His words come after the death of 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite in Palmerston North this week. He suffered a head injury when playing a Run It-style game with friends and his uncle Pete has called on social media influences and sports stars to [ speak out about the dangers] of such games. Clarke told Checkpoint today it would be hard to ban the game, but he encouraged people to stay away and, if they wanted to take part in a contact sport, join a rugby team and receive proper coaching. That message was echoed by NZ Rugby in a statement. "There's too much risk involved doing these. We've seen now the extreme of it and the high risk that it brings - head trauma," Clarke said. Top-level players were told not to back Run It events due to the dangers and risks associated with them. "That's been the message to the players - you can't be seen to support something like this." Former All Black Steve Devine , who has suffered from the after-effects on concussion, also didn't mince his words. "It's a recipe for disaster having two large forces meet and the sudden impact or sudden stoppage for either person generally doesn't bode very well for the brain." However, after training today New Zealand Warriors James Fisher-Harris and Adam Pompey, and coach Andrew Webster, weren't keen to discuss the issue, saying they weren't aware of it. Ryan Satterthwait's former school, Palmerston North Boys' High School, had already planned to discuss the issue at its assembly on Monday before it heard what happened to him. And other schools were also confronting the social media-fed fad. Gisborne Boys' High School told its 820 students that Run It games were banned on Monday, just hours before Satterthwaite's life support was turned off, said headmaster Tom Cairns. "We had an incident last week where we had a game of Run It Straight started up and staff on duty on the back fields saw it and stopped it pretty promptly. "It's something that's obviously captured the attention of the New Zealand public and our boys are no different," he said. "We're not going to have boys taking part in something like that. The way we discussed it was, it's basically violence. "There's no real sporting aspect to it. I don't see anyone going to Run It Straight practice after school. It's really just people lining up and assaulting each other." If it's played at school it would be regarded as fighting, he said. Ryan Satterthwaite. Photo: Instagram The school worked closely with the Mātai Medical Research Institute and Cairns planned to ask one of its experts to speak to the boys and show the effect of traumatic brain impacts. In Auckland, Rowandale Primary school principal Karl Vassau said its board of trustees would meet tonight to discuss how it could respond. "With that type of activity it seems like something that lots of our children will find pretty cool and interesting to watch. "What we are wanting to make sure is that our children know that it is unsafe and if they were to start playing this type of game at school that is definitely not acceptable." The Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board had banned run it straight events from parks in its area and board chairman Tauanu'u Nick Bakulich said it was asking schools to act too. "We see no value of these events so we are very concerned, given what we know in regards concussion and head injuries. "We, as a board, will be writing to our local principal associations for schools to be vigilant and ensure they shut down any similar-type activities that are held on their school grounds." Sport NZ board member Fauono Ken Laban says Run It Straight is not a sport. He said it was a hyped up social media creation of uncontrolled violence with no rules and no laws. The tragic death of Satterthwaite at the weekend was a stark reminder it should be banned from public parks, he said. Satterthwaite's death was a complete waste of life in an event that is a waste of time. The former police officer, league player and coach said he didn't know what Sport NZ could do because they don't regard it as a sport. He said Run It was an immature attempt of fake toughness.
Otago Daily Times
2 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."
