Latest news with #Runit
NZ Herald
09-08-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
‘Run it straight' $200k Dubai winner apologises after Kiwi teen's death linked to controversial sport
Speaking to the Herald five weeks after winning the Dubai event, Olosoni said Satterthwaite's death 'hurt me so much'. Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, died from serious head injuries suffered during a copycat run it straight game in Palmerston North in May. Photo / Instagram 'It made me think about life. Imagine being so young and you could've been something, then that happens to you... It's pretty rough [and] I feel sorry for the family that is enduring that pain,' he said. 'I apologise for that as well... influencing the younger generation to do that type of thing.' Olosoni said the incident made him rethink his participation in the sport and prompted Runit organisers to hold a string of meetings with competitors. 'They had a few conversations about it, making sure the boys understood what we were getting into, because it [death] is a possibility. 'In anything you do, you are at risk... Everything's risky, and the thing is we have to manage risk. 'One thing could happen inside the contact where if you're not trained enough, it could affect you long term. If you have constant concussions, you'll have dementia down the line.' Vulangi Olosoni, 26, took home A$200K after winning the Runit Championship League's Dubai-based final in June. Photo / Sylvie Whinray But Olosoni said the sport is helping people's lives, with life-changing sums of money up for grabs. 'This sport is going to help people who love contact, but also who would love to be in a contact sport where it can help their family long term. 'This income has helped my family, but also helped many others create income for their families as well.' He urged against copying the sport in an unprofessional setting like a backyard, over fears of another death. 'We had everything, that's why we were safe. We had doctors, nurses, a physio and made sure the referees were well trained in CPR and stuff like that. We had everything we could to give our best.' Despite the safety measures in place during the Dubai final, three competitors were forced to retire after displaying symptoms of a concussion – including former NRL veteran and Kiwis representative Kevin Proctor, who suffered a serious head injury and subsequent seizure after a collision. 'Run it straight' and other emerging combat sports are now at the centre of top-level Government discussions, with a decision on their futures in New Zealand set to be reached in the next six months. Concussion to Runit champion Olosoni, who grew up in rural South Auckland's Waiau Pa, said he was first told about the new sport by one of his closest friends – whom he used to 'run it straight' with in the backyard growing up. His background in sport includes 1st XV rugby at Rosehill College and a stint at premier club level in the Counties Manukau region, but he hung up the boots in 2022. 'The curious person I am, I went online and started searching run it straight up. I was like, 'Wait, I've done this many of times in rugby'.' His fears of getting seriously injured were put aside after he prayed and decided to throw his name in the hat. 'When I'm old, say for instance 65, would I regret not taking a chance that I could've? And that's what made me choose it myself.' Vulangi Olosoni: 'You feel like you have something to prove to everybody, that you should be there... I had to remember why I was there, to win for my family.' Photo / Sylvie Whinray Despite not playing any form of contact sport for three years, Olosoni was accepted to compete at the second Auckland trial night at Trusts Arena in front of hundreds of spectators. 'When I was there preparing, all these negative thoughts came to me. It was like 'You're not good enough, you won't achieve it, you won't win, you won't succeed'. 'My head space was cooked.' Olosoni ended up having only one run on the night after copping a shoulder to the head while he was tackling, causing him to stumble around and struggle to stay on his feet. He was forced to retire from the event. 'I wanted to make sure I kept my head away but I still got smacked in the head and that impact caused me to have a concussion.' Vulangi Olosoni was forced to retire during the Auckland trials after suffering a concussion while tackling. Photo / Photosport Two weeks after his concussion, he was contacted by the organisers asking him to compete in the final as a wildcard – bringing with it a free trip to Dubai, with Runit covering costs of flights, accommodation and giving the eight competitors spending money. 'You feel like you have something to prove to everybody, that you should be there. I had to remember why I was there, to win for my family.' As he stood 20m away from his opponents, Olosoni said there was 'a lot of fear that came over my body'. Despite this, he won two match-ups to qualify for the final against Australian Samuel Suamili. 'Everyone knows him as the 'Iceman', because he freezes bodies, and I was just like, 'Whoa, calm down'.' The final was called off after three of the six runs, when it was determined Suamili was too dazed to continue. Emotion overcame Olosoni, who burst into tears as his arm was raised in victory. 'It felt like the weight off my shoulders was lifted. I was just relaxed and tears were coming down my eyes. I was just appreciative to the people who were right by my side, my wife and God, as well as my little sister who flew out too. 'Wouldn't you regret not reaching your potential? Imagine that you reach 70-years-old and you think, 'I should've done this'. The worst thing [that could happen] is that you learn from it.' As for his A$200,000 prize, Olosoni said he's given away about $32,000 to family and friends, but hasn't touched the rest, and had enlisted the help of financial advisers to help him long term. Vulangi Olosoni said he's given about $32k of his prize to family and friends, but hasn't touched the rest. Photo / Sylvie Whinray The Herald understands Runit's next event will be held in the United States in the coming months, but organisers say it is yet to be confirmed. Olosoni said they were trying to push the next event further out so competitors would have more time to prepare. He hadn't decided if he would compete at the next event. 'My biggest choice that I'm thinking about right now is if it's worth it. If I did get chosen again, I would have to make sure that I get income before I even go. I've got to make sure that my family is looked after.'
Kuwait Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
After outcry, ‘world's fiercest' collision sport seeks new markets
DUBAI: Under bright lights and cameras in Dubai, two large men charge at each other down a narrow, plastic pitch, colliding head-on with a bone-jarring thud that sends one of them sprawling. It's the start of a night of thumps, grunts and head injuries at Runit, the rugby-inspired competition that has quickly drawn a social media following and alarm from health experts. The injury-count is high: three of the 12 players are withdrawn with suspected concussion, including a sickening hit that leaves ex-National Rugby League pro Kevin Proctor writhing on the ground. The final ends when Sam 'The Ice Man' Suamili is too dazed to continue, leaving Auckland's Vulangi Olosoni, 26, to celebrate the Aus$200,000 ($130,000) first prize with his overjoyed wife and sister. Organisers have big plans for the Runit Championship League, the brainchild of seven young men from Melbourne who have evolved it from a backyard game to a marketable commodity in a matter of months. Saturday's competition, attended by just a few hundred fans, was backed by several sponsors with a live-stream featuring ex-NRL pro George Burgess, a figurehead for the sport. Its rapid rise has been controversial, however. The event was held in the United Arab Emirates after calls to ban it following trials in New Zealand, where a teenager died playing a copycat version last month. Kevin Proctor receives medical attention after a tackle during the RUNIT Championship League. 'Honourable' According to Lou Sticca, a football agent and consultant promoter who brought the tournament to Dubai, the next stop is the United States. 'It's a contact sport. Americans love contact sport. This is tailor-made,' he told AFP. 'It's two gladiators. It's actually quite honourable. You've got two guys similar size, similar weight. There's a lot of technique,' he added. Runit, which bills itself as the 'world's fiercest new collision sport', is contested on a track 20 metres (65 feet) long and four metres wide. The athletes, typically with a rugby background and the build of a heavyweight boxer, have four runs at each other taking turns to hold a rugby ball. The winner is the man judged to 'dominate' the contest. Two doctors and three other medics were pitchside in Dubai, with two ambulances waiting outside, according to Sticca. The players, mostly New Zealanders, had medical checks including head scans before flying out and will be assessed again on their return, he said. 'We're engaging proper legal experts on concussion and as we grow the sport, we'll get experts in concussion at other sports,' Sticca said. 'We'll do whatever we can to play our part in ensuring the health and safety of our combatants.' 'Unacceptable threat' However, not everyone is convinced. New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called Runit a 'dumb thing to do', while the New Zealand Medical Journal said it was 'engineered for injury'. 'It is a ritualized, high-risk physical collision that poses an unacceptable threat to life and wellbeing,' an editorial said this week. 'As trauma clinicians, we warn unequivocally: Run It Straight is a mechanism for significant acute and long-term injury,' the journal added. Concerns over concussion have prompted new measures in several sports including the rugby codes as scores of retired players report serious health problems. Tania Mayne, a Dubai-based neurophysiotherapist who specializes in concussion, said the science was clear on impacts to the head. 'World Rugby has been so outspoken about how a contact should take place in a match,' she told AFP, referring to rugby union's governing body. 'This goes against everything out there.' Mayne added: 'I would just encourage people not to get involved and read what's out there. There's so much information about concussion in sport.' Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive disease caused by repeated blows to the head, is known to trigger violent moods, dementia and depression. Injuries from head knocks have also been linked to disorders such as motor neurone disease, early onset dementia, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. However, Sticca said Runit was being unfairly singled out. 'Any contact sport has got the same issues. It's just that we're only hearing about this because it suits the agenda,' he said. 'We don't care about the critics, we care about the combatants. We care about making Runit a bigger, better sport. Simple as that.' — AFP
Straits Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
After outcry, rugby-inspired collision sport seeks new markets
Jordan Simi (left) competes against Kevin Proctor during the RUNIT Championship League in Dubai on June 28. PHOTO: AFP DUBAI – Under bright lights and cameras in Dubai, two large men charge at each other down a narrow, plastic pitch, colliding head-on with a bone-jarring thud that sends one of them sprawling. It's the start of a night of thumps, grunts and head injuries at Runit, the rugby-inspired competition that has quickly drawn a social media following and alarm from health experts. The injury-count is high: three of the 12 players are withdrawn with suspected concussion, including a sickening hit that leaves ex-National Rugby League pro Kevin Proctor writhing on the ground. The final ends when Sam 'The Ice Man' Suamili is too dazed to continue, leaving Auckland's Vulangi Olosoni, 26, to celebrate the Aus$200,000 first prize with his overjoyed wife and sister. Organisers have big plans for the Runit Championship League, the brainchild of seven young men from Melbourne who have evolved it from a backyard game to a marketable commodity in a matter of months. The June 28 competition, attended by just a few hundred fans, was backed by several sponsors with a live-stream featuring ex-NRL pro George Burgess, a figurehead for the sport. Its rapid rise has been controversial, however. The event was held in the United Arab Emirates after calls to ban it following trials in New Zealand, where a teenager died playing a copycat version last month. According to Lou Sticca, a football agent and consultant promoter who brought the tournament to Dubai, the next stop is the United States. 'It's a contact sport. Americans love contact sport. This is tailor-made,' he told AFP. 'It's two gladiators. It's actually quite honourable. You've got two guys similar size, similar weight. There's a lot of technique,' he added. Runit, which bills itself as the 'world's fiercest new collision sport', is contested on a track 20 metres long and four metres wide. The athletes, typically with a rugby background and the build of a heavyweight boxer, have four runs at each other taking turns to hold a rugby ball. The winner is the man judged to 'dominate' the contest. Two doctors and three other medics were pitchside in Dubai, with two ambulances waiting outside, according to Sticca. The players, mostly New Zealanders, had medical checks including head scans before flying out and will be assessed again on their return, he said. 'We're engaging proper legal experts on concussion and as we grow the sport, we'll get experts in concussion at other sports,' Sticca said. 'We'll do whatever we can to play our part in ensuring the health and safety of our combatants.' However, not everyone is convinced. New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called Runit a 'dumb thing to do', while the New Zealand Medical Journal said it was 'engineered for injury'. 'It is a ritualised, high-risk physical collision that poses an unacceptable threat to life and wellbeing,' an editorial said this week. 'As trauma clinicians, we warn unequivocally: Run It Straight is a mechanism for significant acute and long-term injury,' the journal added. Concerns over concussion have prompted new measures in several sports including the rugby codes as scores of retired players report serious health problems. Tania Mayne, a Dubai-based neurophysiotherapist who specialises in concussion, said the science was clear on impacts to the head. 'World Rugby has been so outspoken about how a contact should take place in a match,' she told AFP, referring to rugby union's governing body. 'This goes against everything out there.' Mayne added: 'I would just encourage people not to get involved and read what's out there. There's so much information about concussion in sport.' Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive disease caused by repeated blows to the head, is known to trigger violent moods, dementia and depression. Injuries from head knocks have also been linked to disorders such as motor neurone disease, early onset dementia, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. However, Sticca said Runit was being unfairly singled out. 'Any contact sport has got the same issues. It's just that we're only hearing about this because it suits the agenda,' he said. 'We don't care about the critics, we care about the combatants. We care about making Runit a bigger, better sport. Simple as that.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
France 24
30-06-2025
- Sport
- France 24
After outcry, rugby-inspired collision sport seeks new markets
It's the start of a night of thumps, grunts and head injuries at Runit, the rugby-inspired competition that has quickly drawn a social media following and alarm from health experts. The injury-count is high: three of the 12 players are withdrawn with suspected concussion, including a sickening hit that leaves ex-National Rugby League pro Kevin Proctor writhing on the ground. The final ends when Sam "The Ice Man" Suamili is too dazed to continue, leaving Auckland's Vulangi Olosoni, 26, to celebrate the Aus$200,000 ($130,000) first prize with his overjoyed wife and sister. Organisers have big plans for the Runit Championship League, the brainchild of seven young men from Melbourne who have evolved it from a backyard game to a marketable commodity in a matter of months. Saturday's competition, attended by just a few hundred fans, was backed by several sponsors with a live-stream featuring ex-NRL pro George Burgess, a figurehead for the sport. Its rapid rise has been controversial, however. The event was held in the United Arab Emirates after calls to ban it following trials in New Zealand, where a teenager died playing a copycat version last month. 'Honourable' According to Lou Sticca, a football agent and consultant promoter who brought the tournament to Dubai, the next stop is the United States. "It's a contact sport. Americans love contact sport. This is tailor-made," he told AFP. "It's two gladiators. It's actually quite honourable. You've got two guys similar size, similar weight. There's a lot of technique," he added. Runit, which bills itself as the "world's fiercest new collision sport", is contested on a track 20 metres (65 feet) long and four metres wide. The athletes, typically with a rugby background and the build of a heavyweight boxer, have four runs at each other taking turns to hold a rugby ball. The winner is the man judged to "dominate" the contest. Two doctors and three other medics were pitchside in Dubai, with two ambulances waiting outside, according to Sticca. The players, mostly New Zealanders, had medical checks including head scans before flying out and will be assessed again on their return, he said. "We're engaging proper legal experts on concussion and as we grow the sport, we'll get experts in concussion at other sports," Sticca said. "We'll do whatever we can to play our part in ensuring the health and safety of our combatants." 'Unacceptable threat to life' However, not everyone is convinced. New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called Runit a "dumb thing to do", while the New Zealand Medical Journal said it was "engineered for injury". "It is a ritualised, high-risk physical collision that poses an unacceptable threat to life and wellbeing," an editorial said this week. "As trauma clinicians, we warn unequivocally: Run It Straight is a mechanism for significant acute and long-term injury," the journal added. Concerns over concussion have prompted new measures in several sports including the rugby codes as scores of retired players report serious health problems. Tania Mayne, a Dubai-based neurophysiotherapist who specialises in concussion, said the science was clear on impacts to the head. "World Rugby has been so outspoken about how a contact should take place in a match," she told AFP, referring to rugby union's governing body. "This goes against everything out there." Mayne added: "I would just encourage people not to get involved and read what's out there. There's so much information about concussion in sport." Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive disease caused by repeated blows to the head, is known to trigger violent moods, dementia and depression. Injuries from head knocks have also been linked to disorders such as motor neurone disease, early onset dementia, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. However, Sticca said Runit was being unfairly singled out. "Any contact sport has got the same issues. It's just that we're only hearing about this because it suits the agenda," he said. "We don't care about the critics, we care about the combatants. We care about making Runit a bigger, better sport. Simple as that."
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
WHAT THE! A rugby-inspired collission sport gathers momentum; coroner raises alarm
Representational image (Photo by) A New Zealand coroner has raised concerns about a dangerous rugby-inspired sport called "Runit," where participants collide with each other without protective equipment. The sport involves competitors standing 20 meters apart, running directly at each other, with victory determined by who dominates the collision. Coroner Bruce Hesketh included these observations while investigating an unrelated death of a rugby league player. The Runit Championship League, based in Australia, expanded to New Zealand this year, offering NZ$20,000 for regional competition winners and NZ$200,000 for the tournament champion. The sport has gained popularity through social media, leading to unofficial events in both Australia and New Zealand. A tragic incident occurred in May when 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite lost his life due to a severe head injury during an unofficial event in New Zealand. "The competition has all the hallmarks of perilous activity that makes no attempt to mitigate head injury. There appears to be no governing body, the activity is not regulated and has no written publicly accessible rules of participation. Neither is there any information to players around the signs and dangers of concussion or concussion management." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Contrata y llévate la Instalación Gratis Movistar Prosegur Alarmas Prueba ahora Undo "Furthermore, all the applicable team sporting bodies involved have invested heavily in concussion awareness, prevention, identity and management." Hesketh noted that while traditional rugby players aim to avoid tackles, Runit participants actively seek collisions. The coroner advised against recognising Runit as an official sport. The Runit Championship League markets itself as the "home of collisions." Following Satterthwaite's death, New Zealand police issued warnings about the significant injury risks associated with the sport. During the league's first Auckland event in May, two participants were knocked unconscious, and one suffered seizures from a head injury. The crowd of over 1,000 people cheered during the collision that caused the seizures. The league organisers relocated the final event to Dubai's Agenda Arena on June 28 after facing calls for a ban in New Zealand. The organisation is providing travel arrangements for all competitors to attend the Dubai final. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
