The All Blacks’ former scrum guru who has coached some of the hardest-hitting forwards of the modern era has red-carded Run It Straight events, labelling the trend “barbaric”.
Mike Cron has joined a growing chorus of opposition to the events that see two opponents – one carrying a rugby ball – run full tilt at each other, before making head- and bone-jarring impact.
A number of events for the so-called combat sport have been held on both sides of the Tasman in recent months, some including prize money up to $20,000.
It’s also a social media trend, and has led to tragedy: Palmerston North teen Ryan Satherwaite died from head injuries suffered in an impromptu backyard challenge.
Cron, the All Blacks’ former lineout and scrum coach, today releases a book on his life in rugby: Coach – Lessons From An All Blacks Legend.
In 2015 he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to scrum safety - and has now told the Herald he is appalled at the emergence of Run It Straight.
“It’s a bit barbaric. People are prepared to basically knock themselves out willingly,” he told the Herald.
“It’s pretty vicious [without] many rules around it. At least our game it’s got to be from chest down and there’s rules around it and very strict repercussions if you don’t do it right.
“It is a barbaric activity. It’s like bullrush gone mad on steroids” he said.
Video from organised competitive events in Auckland – including some attended by the Herald – have shown a succession of brutal head-on hits, some which have knocked competitors out.
A growing number of medical experts and rugby and league players have spoken out about the events; including ex-Manu Samoa player Onehunga Mata’uiau, Manly forward Nathan Brown and the New Zealand Rugby League.
Medical studies involving amateur club players have shown some rugby tackles have the same impact as 30km/h head-on car crashes.
Safety has always been a priority for Cron during his coaching career – he is now the Wallabies scrum coach, preparing for the upcoming three-test series against the British & Irish Lions.
In 2015 he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to scrum safety, with his work in that area sparked after numerous players broke their necks in scrum collapses in the 1980s.
He said a safer alternative to Run It Straight would be to have competitors run at a tackle bag which could register the force of the impact - and who was the hardest hitter.
“You can still find the biggest, toughest, strongest, best technique without injury to anyone,” Cron said.
“That makes more sense to me than running and trying to break snap someone’s bloody neck.”
In his new autobiography, Coach, the 70-year-old opens up on his 210-test tenure with the All Blacks, including Rugby World Cup triumphs in 2011 and 2015 - and his current role with the Wallabies.
He also reveals in the book how the All Black pack benefited from techniques he observed in dancers at the Royal New Zealand Ballet and at a sumo wrestling gym in Japan.
He opens up about some of the secrets of the culture within the All Blacks during his tenure; including a rule book which contained just three rules; be on time, wear the right kit and act like an All Black.
Cron – whose playing career included representing Canterbury and captaining the New Zealand Colts – writes about his pride in older brother Stu making the All Blacks in 1976 despite losing some movement in his arm after falling off a roof as a kid.
Cron also looks back on his career as a detective with New Zealand Police in Christchurch before becoming a fulltime rugby coach, a stint that included setting up a witness protection squad in Canterbury.
>> Coach - Lessons from an All Blacks Legend is published by HarperCollins Publishers, with a RRP of $39.99.
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 33 years of newsroom experience.
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