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BBC News
27-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
New Zealand teen dies in viral rugby-style tackle game
A 19-year-old New Zealander has died of a "serious head injury" sustained in a social media-inspired game of tackle with friends, police young man, identified in local media as Ryan Satterthwaite, died in hospital on Monday after a game of "run it straight" in the city of Palmerston to recreate collisions seen in rugby, the game has two players - one with a ball, the other the tackler - charge at full speed to knock each other down 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," police spokesperson Ross Grantham said in a statement on Tuesday. "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 that it was not a police matter, but officers would "continue to undertake enquiries on behalf of the coroner"."Run it straight" has long been played casually in Australia and New Zealand, but has recently taken off as a trend online and been endorsed by some professional rugby players, despite critics warnings it could give players head trauma and brain social media, "run it straight" challenges show young men and students charging at each other as their friends watch on. In some videos, participants are seen passing out after being the popularity of the game grew, some have started to hold their own tournaments - though it is unclear how these are such tournament, the Runit Championship League, made its debut in Auckland this month after first being held in Australia in its website, organisers described the game as the "fiercest, new collision sport".The league drew more than 1,000 people to the Auckland's Trusts Arena as men went head-to-head for a prize of around $13,000 (£9,500).Some participants were injured during their matches, and one video showed a man appearing to have a seizure after colliding with his Runit Championship League organisers have promised to return to next month with an even bigger Ngaluafe, the organiser of Up the Guts NZ, another "run it straight" event in New Zealand, tells says the game has long been popular in the country, attracting five-year-old boys to men in their 40s."It's a Kiwi national backyard sport. The boys are currently playing as we speak," he tells the Satterthwaite's death is a reminder of how important safety is, Mr Ngaluafe says. He adds that players should wear protective headgear - which many currently do not - and have spotters around to prevent their heads from hitting the ground. "In New Zealand, kids are playing this kind of game every day. They deserve to be guided properly and shown how to do it the right way," he says.
Telegraph
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
My Lions memories: Dangerous new shoes, unbearable snorers and shadowing my rival
The first kitting-out meeting of a British and Irish Lions squad is unforgettable. Putting on the iconic Lions blazer, with its wonderful, embroidered badge, will probably be the highlight of most players' careers. Just handling the training gear and the rest of the Lions clothing are special memories that still spark emotional reactions in me decades later. This proud moment where 'the stash' is given out is usually straightforward – but it does not always go to plan. On my first Lions tour we were each given a shiny new pair of Church's brogues that were so pristine, the lacquer on the soles had not even been scuffed. Unfortunately, as each player left the clothing room you then heard a loud thud, followed by the pained expletive 'Oh s---' as someone slipped and crashed onto the hotel's polished wooden floorboards. We were lucky not to have sustained a few injuries before we had left these shores. The initial meetings of Lions' tours are usually approached by most players with a little nervousness. It does not matter how experienced or successful you have been, this is a new group, facing a new challenge. Meeting opponents against whom you have battled on the pitch and against whom you will be competing for a Test jersey creates a strange set of emotions, all of which have to be broken down and rebuilt by the team's management and coaching staff. It will be interesting to see what Andy Farrell has in store for his squad, but I am certain the issue of team bonding has already been raised and plans to create a distinct tour unity are already in hand. What approach each player takes to the tasks in hand will depend on their individual psyche and what type of bonding exercises they have been exposed to with their clubs and country. It will also test their adaptability and open-mindedness. I took a direct route when it came to challenging for the Test spot on my first tour of Australia in 1989. Irish hooker Steve Smith had been picked by every rugby writer as the probable Test starter, on the basis that the Lions would have to combat the formidable presence of the giant Wallaby hooker Tom Lawton. Stevie was much more powerful than me, but I was fitter and faster, so I took it upon myself to line up beside him in every training session and made certain that I finished in front of him in every drill possible. It was a very personal contest for me (and one I ultimately won). Most players will be used to touring and the little quirks that are potential problems or opportunities depending on how they turn out. I think that, given a choice, most people would prefer to have their own room but that is usually not allowed on tours and for good reasons. Rooming with different players at each leg of the tour means that you must interact with whoever you are paired with. Sometimes this turns out to be an unexpected pleasure and you find out a lot about another player in these unguarded moments. Other times it is an exercise in diplomacy as you have to find a way to have at least a civil relationship with somebody whom you do not warm to. You dread sharing with a snorer and I remember once in Sydney rooming with Scott Hastings. Within 30 seconds of getting into bed he was making such a comical snoring noise I thought he was messing around, but he was actually asleep. I had to fetch the tour manager and, once he realised you could hear him snoring from four doors away, I got another room. From early on in my Lions experiences I learnt that you had to accommodate the ways of thinking that broke along national lines. There is no standard type of national thinking, and none is more worthy than another, but they are different. That can take some getting used to, particularly when viewed from a usually insular English perspective. I am looking forward to seeing if Farrell makes use of music in his team building. During the initial meetings of the 1989 and 1993 Lions squads, we had to learn a medley of four songs, each synonymous with the four home countries, and we would sing that on multiple occasions: before meetings, at official functions and on the team bus. Graham Henry's 2001 Lions used drums, tambourines and maracas to get the players to bond. In 2017, Warren Gatland engaged the services of a musical director and had his players learn songs from the four different countries. You are probably wondering about the relevance of this to touring, but there is research evidence that singing or chanting can produce the same unifying psychological effects to that produced when soldiers march, and that behavioural coordination between groups of people increases cohesion between them. I do not imagine we will have the equivalent of a football World Cup song, but I am sure the boys will be belting out a few tunes.
