A large crowd packed Trust Stadium for the Runit event last night. Video / Mike Scott / Benjamin Plummer
Six New Zealanders make up the eight finalists set to compete for a $200,000 cash prize in the final of a controversial “run it straight” event in the Middle East this weekend.
Australian-based Runit Championship League hosted two trial events at Trusts Arena last month, with the winners taking home$20,000 cash prizes. But the West Auckland venue pulled out of hosting the final, citing safety concerns.
The final has since been shifted from Auckland to Dubai and will be held at The Agenda venue on Saturday night local time, with prizes of A$200,000 (NZ$216,000), A$50,000 ($53,000) and A$25,000 ($27,000) on offer for first, second and third. The organisation has paid for all flights and accommodation for the eight finalists.
The social media trend has already led to the death of 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite in Palmerston North last month after he took part in a copycat event and suffered serious head injuries.
The second Runit Championship League final has been shifted to Dubai after West Auckland stadium Trusts Arena pulled out, citing safety concerns. Photo / Mike Scott
Eight competitors from Australia and New Zealand will run full speed at each other with the sole objective of trying to flatten their opponent. But questions have been raised about how the organisation selects competitors.
Runit Championship League said all competitors were screened before its events by its “athlete manager”, a former Victoria rugby player.
“We will only choose athletes with experience in rugby union or rugby league, and always ensure our athletes understand the rules and risks associated with the Runit Championship event.”
The Herald can report that all competitors play club-level rugby union or league.
The eight competitors battling for $200k
Champ Betham, 26, Hornby, Christchurch
Betham’s background in sport involves a stint in the wider training squad of the NPC’s Bay of Plenty Steamers before switching codes to rugby league and moving to Christchurch.
He now plays for the Hornby Panthers and has represented Canterbury Rugby League.
To meet the 130kg weight limit for the Auckland trial, Betham shed 13kg in a week. The weight limit for the Dubai tournament has been dropped to a range of 115-125kg.
Champ Betham (left) took home $20,000 last month after winning Runit Championship League's second Auckland trial. Photo / Mike Scott
Betham told the Herald he entered the competition because of the staggering cash prize on offer. He won one of the trial nights in Auckland, taking home $20,000.
Asked how run it straight compared to a standard rugby league game, he said it was “a lot harder, collision-wise”.
Darcy Sameli, 28, Māngere East, Auckland – club player for Māngere East Rugby League; runner-up in second Auckland trial.
Vulangi Olosoni, 26, South Auckland – former premier player for Patumāhoe Rugby Club; competed in second Auckland trial.
Abraham Tulisi, 36, Manurewa, Auckland – club player for Manurewa Marlins Rugby League; runner-up in first Auckland trial.
Troy Pulupaki, 26, Pakenham, Victoria – originally from Ōtāhuhu, Auckland –club player for Pakenham Eels Rugby League; winner of “Trial West” in Australia.
Sam Suamili, 27, Craigieburn, Victoria – originally from East Auckland – club player for Northern Thunder Rugby League; winner of “Trial North” in Australia.
John Filipo, 29, Craigieburn, Victoria –club player for Northern Thunder Rugby League; competed in “Trial North”.
Phillip Poligerinos, 24, Sunshine, Victoria – club player for Footscray Rugby Club; competed in Runit01 final in Australia.
Further to the eight-man elimination tournament, Runit Championship League will host an “exhibition match” between Australian influencer Jordan Simi and former NRL and Kiwis player Kevin Proctor.
Proctor was sacked by NRL club Gold Coast Titans in 2023 after posting a social media video of himself vaping in a changing-room cubicle at halftime while his side was losing. He was their captain at the time, but was not playing because of an injury.
The seven friends behind Runit Championship League
“What started as an idea at our nephew’s birthday party has grown into something very special,“ co-founder Virgil Taua’a said in a statement earlier this month.
Taua’a, his brothers Brendan, Brandon and Noel, and friends Stephen and Darren Hancock and Rennie Molimau are the seven men behind the Runit Championship League, and have pledged to take it global.
“The game itself is quite big among the Pacific Islander community,” Taua’a told the Sydney Morning Herald. “Back in high school and at lunchtime and recess, when we didn’t have a rugby ball … all the boys were sitting around and we’d end up playing this game called run it straight, and that’s where the game kind of evolved from.”
All eight competing in the Dubai final have a Pasifika background.
Taua’a said interest in run it straight had “exploded” since the organisation’s first event in March, but acknowledged it had a responsibility to inform followers about the risks involved.
“Just like any contact sport, like boxing, martial arts or combat-style activities, we remind everyone that this should only be done in highly controlled environments, which include professional medical supervision and support.”
The league announced on social media this week that it had welcomed gambling company Stake as its “official major partner”. This brought into question whether punters will be able to bet on competitors in future.
“This is more than a collab. It’s a level-up,” the post read.
The Herald has approached Stake for comment.
Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers sport and breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.
