‘Run it straight’ games deserve condemnation - Editorial

Of the eight competitors at an event last month, three were forced to retire with injuries, two of whom showed signs of a concussion. Photo / Mike Scott

Editorial

• Palmerston North teenager Ryan Satterthwaite died following a private game of ‘run it straight’.
• Sport and Recreation Minister Mark Mitchell is seeking advice on Government action against the dangerous trend.
• At a trial Runit Championship League event in Auckland, two of eight competitors showed signs of a concussion.

The one good thing to come in the wake of the tragic consequences of the “run it straight” fad is the chorus of condemnation.

From the Prime Minister, to rugby and league stars, to the family of Ryan Satterthwaite, the Palmerston North teenager who died last week during a private game, the message has been clear. Such events need to be stopped.

The craze hit New Zealand shores following social media trends and the arrival of organised events last month.

Run it straight contests involve a runner and a tackler running full speed at each other on a 20m x 4m field.

The aim of the game is to win the collision.

It has horrified anyone working in the brain injury field, or those sports that have worked so hard to reduce the impact of head collisions.

Sport and Recreation Minister Mark Mitchell has asked for advice on what the Government can do.

Sport NZ group chief executive Raelene Castle says her organisation has concerns about the activity, “which clearly comes with significant health and safety risks”.

West Auckland’s Trusts Arena declined to host the final of the Australian-based Runit Championship League following an earlier trial event where two of the eight competitors showed signs of a concussion.

The risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from repeated head collisions is well-documented.

Rugby knows.

It’s an issue the sport initially struggled to accept, but in the past couple of decades has made huge progress on.

There is now a much greater awareness and education about the impact of head collisions in the sport.

Head injury assessment (HIA) is now a protocol, along with stand-down periods for players who fail.

It has also introduced stricter rules designed to limit the amount of head contact – accidental or otherwise – in the game.

Not to mention rugby being a sport where players are taught safe tackle technique and, more importantly, the art of evasion.

All this progress is why so many organisations are being outspoken because run it straight is not that.

High-impact collision is the sole goal of the game.

Of course, it has its supporters who tout the community aspect of it and argue it should be about personal choice.

But there can be no debate over the fact that a young man’s death was entirely preventable, and many others have received dangerous injuries.

Run it straight, and any private version of this game, needs to stop.

The strength with which the vast majority of the country has condemned the activity is a good start.

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