Luxon says people need to take 'personal responsibility' following Palmy teen's death.
Video / Mark Mitchell
Act leader and impending Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour is calling for urgent action against controversial “run it straight events” labelling them as “total muppetry”.
His plea comes days after the death of teenager Ryan Satterthwaite, who suffered severe head injuries after taking part in a private “run it straight”game on Sunday.
Satterthwaite, 19, was taken to Palmerston North Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery but couldn’t be saved. His life support was turned off on Monday.
Satterthwaite’s grieving family say his death was an “accident waiting to happen” and have urged others to stop taking part in the social media-driven trend.
Seymour has followed suit and made a plea on social media.
“I want to pay respects to the young man who tragically lost his life because of this,” said Seymour. “But now the message is urgent for everyone else.
“I honestly can’t think of anything more foolish than deliberately running straight into someone with no skill, no technique, and no concern for safety – with no real intention of playing the game properly or helping your team move the ball forward.
“That’s what rugby is supposed to be about. Getting the ball over the line, together.
“This kind of muppetry has to stop. It’s time for a bit of personal responsibility and common sense.”
Seymour highlighted the difference between rugby and events like “run it straight”.
“I had 13 seasons of rugby, two as captain, seven as a coach,” said Seymour. “When I say this whole ‘run it straight’ thing is total muppetry, I do have some idea what I’m talking about.
“Good rugby is about going into contact safely, getting your head in the right position, going low, wrapping up the legs, holding the player down, or getting back to your feet quickly so you can contest possession.
“That’s real rugby. That takes skill.”
Two “run it straight” events were hosted at West Auckland’s Trusts Arena last week by Australian-based Runit Championship League. Photo / Mike Scott
Earlier, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Newstalk ZB Wellington Morning host Nick Mills that the death of Satterthwaite is a reminder for people to take “personal responsibility” around the controversial social media craze.
“Run it straight” has been touted as the world’s fiercest new combat sport and attempts to mirror the most physical collisions seen in rugby league, union and AFL matches weekly.
It involves a runner and a tackler running full speed at each other on a 20m x 4m “battlefield” designed for “maximum action and non-stop intensity”.
“Victory belongs to the one who dominates the collision.”
It has exploded on social media, gaining a substantial following over the past month.
The death of Satterthwaite came after two “run it straight” events were hosted at West Auckland’s Trusts Arena last week by Australian-based Runit Championship League, with $20,000 cash for the winners.
Of the eight competitors at one event, three were forced to retire with injuries – two of whom showed signs of a concussion. That was after one of the first competitors in an earlier trial was knocked unconscious.
“The initial Runit trials were held at the Trusts Arena, but a contract had not been signed in relation to hosting the final event,” Trusts Arena’s general manager of community engagement Lynette Adams told the Herald.
“Following the trials, it was clear from commentary that there was overwhelming concern for the high-risk nature of the event.
“Safety of all participants at our venue is paramount and this activity presented safety considerations that we could not overlook.
“We therefore made the decision not to allow any further Runit events at our venue and the event promoter was advised accordingly last week.”
While the new sport has amassed a significant following on social media, leading neuroscientists have consistently condemned the concept since its inception.
