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News.com.au
27-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Teenager, 19, dies playing ‘run it straight' as grave fears about newest combat sport realised
A teenager has died during a private 'run it straight' game as the grave consequences of Australia and New Zealand's hottest new contact sport is realised. The 19-year-old man was critically injured while playing an impromptu tackle game with friends on Sunday afternoon in Palmerston North, New Zealand. He was taken to hospital by friends but passed away on Monday night. The teenager has been identified the teenager as Ryan Satterthwaite. Manawatū area commander Inspector Ross Grantham said the tackle game played by the group of friends was based on 'run it straight', the controversial sport sweeping the southern hemisphere. '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 said. 'We would urge anyone thinking about taking part in a game or event like this to consider the significant safety and injury risks.' 'RUNIT' has become an online viral sensation over the past few months, and has attracted tens of millions of views on various social media platforms. Videos of the heavy collisions started doing the rounds on social media in January, with 'Run it Straight Official' and 'RUNIT Championship League' turning the trend into a business. But the sport has been controversial due to the violent nature of some of the tackles, which by the rugby league textbook would see a player cop a several-week ban. The sport involves four rounds of players charging at each other along a 10m grass runway, with each competitor taking turns carrying a rugby league 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 either knocked out or concussed. If both competitors are still standing and have their wits about them after four rounds, a set of judges decide the winner, with the main criteria they are judging being damage. But the teenager's death is a grave reminder of the risks involved in competing in the dangerous sport. It also comes after two men were knocked out and required medical attention during a Run It Straight competition at Auckland's Trust Arena last week. As the sport continues to take off spoke to leading sports neuroscientist Dr Alan Pearce who was baffled at why people would be willing to take the risks. 'I just cannot understand how they could take the most violent aspect of sport (contact) and just turn it into a spectacle where the objective is just to try and knock out or hurt your opponent,' Dr Pearce told earlier this year. 'In a lot of these other sports (such as NRL, AFL and rugby union) you're trying to avoid direct contact whereas this is purely running at each other, it's insanity.' With the latest incident a lot of questions will be asked over why people choose to participate, and Dr Pearce hypothesised it may be down to the notion traditional sports have 'gone soft', something he says has been falsely peddled for years. 'A lot of these people competing have a footy background and if anything it's worse as they have already likely had several head knocks which add up a lot quicker than people realise,' Dr Pearce said. 'Then there's the idea that (contact) sport is getting soft. But that's incorrect, it is actually getting far harder as the athletes are now bigger, stronger and faster than ever before, just look at the injury lists every week. 'We are seeing at all levels of the game higher injury rates but yet people are still complaining that sports are getting soft because we're trying to crack down on things that are causing damage to our brains and bodies.
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Video: Man appears to have seizure after taking part in 'Run It Straight' collision sport event in Auckland
Two men were knocked out during last night's 'Run It Straight' event held in Auckland, in which two competitors collide at full speed. While one of the men was able to be helped away on his feet after contact, another slumped to the ground and appeared to have a seizure. Auckland Council had previously cancelled two similar events that were planned for this week. A Run It Straight competition at Auckland's Trust Arena on Wednesday night had drawn in more than 1000 people. Eight men put their bodies and brains on the line for $20,000 prize money last night, two of them required medical attention after being knocked out. The winners from this week's trials will progress to a final competition held next month, where the champion is set to receive a prize of $250,000. The sport has a number of high profile endorsements, including Kiwi league legend Manu Vatuvei. "This is one of the contact sports that I love, you know, it's a one-on-one … it just reminds me of training, we used to run at each other and try smash each other, just to get the feel of the contact," he told RNZ. Others RNZ spoke to at the event said they liked the energy of the collision - "the big oomph", one said. Another spectator said they enjoyed the vibes of the sport and the event. "Just the big hits eh, all the hype it brings, the crowd, everything, the atmosphere, they said. One fan told RNZ she was glad the sport was expanding. "I'm glad that this one went through, and now the world can see what type of sport this is, and you know the people who are attracted to it. "It's a good thing for our brothers, but they need to do a woman's one, I'm gonna run it straight," she said. Meanwhile, the sport has been under fire for its risk of head injuries. Wednesday night's event saw knock outs - including one athlete appearing to have a seizure as he hit the ground. When RNZ approached some fans about the criticisms of the sport, some still backed it. "Mind your own business eh, like you know, just let the people be, let them be," one person said. Another commented "the people wanna do it, like why stop them?". Vatuvei said he backed the sport despite the controversy. "I'm just happy that it's here in New Zealand, I know a lot of people hate it and a lot of people love it, I'm one of those people that love it," he said. When asked whether he would be tempted to try the sport himself, he said "I do, I do, honestly I do, but it's one of those things that my mind is telling me one thing but my body is telling me another". Auckland Council said an event planned for Williams Park in Māngere on Wednesday was cancelled, after organisers failed to secure a permit. Another planned for Marist Saints on Thursday has also been scrapped. The council said the organisers did not seek a permit or try to book council sites, but if they had followed the correct process, it was highly unlikely the event would have met its guidelines for approval. Earlier, RNZ spoke to a brain injury support group who said they were "appalled" that the Run It Straight events were being staged across Auckland. Chief executive of the Headway charity Stacey Mowbray said the activity was undoubtedly causing brain injury. She said the format and promotion of the events appeared to exploit financially vulnerable people by offering large cash prizes. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Two men knocked out at 'Run It Straight' collision sport event in Auckland
Two men collide during a 'Run it' sporting event in Auckland. Photo: Supplied / RUNIT CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE via Instagram Two men were knocked out during last night's 'Run It Straight' event held in Auckland, in which two competitors collide at full speed. While one of the men was able to be helped away on his feet after contact, another slumped to the ground and appeared to have a seizure. Auckland Council had previously cancelled two similar events that were planned for this week. A Run It Straight competition at Auckland's Trust Arena on Wednesday night had drawn in more than 1000 people. Eight men put their bodies and brains on the line for $20,000 prize money last night, two of them required medical attention after being knocked out. The winners from this week's trials will progress to a final competition held next month, where the champion is set to receive a prize of $250,000. The sport has a number of high profile endorsements, including Kiwi league legend Manu Vatuvai. "This is one of the contact sports that I love, you know, it's a one on one… it just reminds me of training, we used to run at each other and try smash each other, just to get the feel of the contact," he told RNZ. Others RNZ spoke to at the event said they liked the energy of the collision - "the big oomph", one said. Another spectator said they enjoyed the vibes of the sport and the event. "Just the big hits eh, all the hype it brings, the crowd, everything, the atmosphere, they said. One fan told RNZ she was glad the sport was expanding. "I'm glad that this one went through, and now the world can see what type of sport this is, and you know the people who are attracted to it. "It's a good thing for our brothers, but they need to do a woman's one, I'm gonna run it straight," she said. Meanwhile, the sport has been under fire for its risk of head injuries. Wednesday night's event saw knock outs - including one athlete appearing to have a seizure as he hit the ground. When RNZ approached some fans about the criticisms of the sport, some still backed it. "Mind your own business eh, like you know, just let the people be, let them be," one person said. Another commented "the people wanna do it, like why stop them?". Vatuvai said he backed the sport despite the controversy. "I'm just happy that it's here in New Zealand, I know a lot of people hate it and a lot of people love it, I'm one of those people that love it," he said. When asked whether he would be tempted to try the sport himself, he said "I do, I do, honestly I do, but it's one of those things that my mind is telling me one thing but my body is telling me another". Auckland Council said an event planned for Williams Park in Māngere on Wednsday was cancelled, after organisers failed to secure a permit. Another planned for Marist Saints on Thursday has also been scrapped. The council said the organisers did not seek a permit or try to book council sites, but if they had followed the correct process, it was highly unlikely the event would have met its guidelines for approval. Earlier, RNZ spoke to a brain injury support group who said they were "appalled" that the Run It Straight events were being staged across Auckland. Chief executive of the Headway charity Stacey Mowbray said the activity was undoubtedly causing brain injury. She said the format and promotion of the events appeared to exploit financially vulnerable people by offering large cash prizes. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
