A former NRL and English international heavyweight has partnered with a controversial new sport set to debut in Auckland this week that has rival participants run straight at each other with full force.
George Burgess, who is no stranger to heavy hits, has defended the recently established Runit Championship League – which has been extensively criticised as the “dumbest game ever”.
Leading neuroscientists have condemned the concept – touted as the world’s fiercest new combat sport that attempts to mirror the physical collisions seen in rugby league, union, and AFL matches weekly.
The new “run it straight” competition has exploded on social media, amassing over 50 million views in the last four weeks.
And with a grand prize of $200,000 up for grabs at the Auckland event, the risk of a serious head injury may be an afterthought for competitors.
Two trial days are set to be held at Trusts Arena on Monday and Wednesday nights this week, with 16 players competing for prizes of $20,000. The top eight earn a spot in the final, which will be held in June – where the winner takes home a baffling $200k.
Burgess, who had over 150 NRL appearances and 15 caps for England before his retirement from rugby league in 2022, told the Herald he saw the concept as a “really good opportunity” and wanted to get involved in the team.
The 33-year-old was himself involved in an ‘exhibition match’ at the league’s first event in Melbourne last month, running full speed at Super Rugby powerhouse and Fijian international Nemani Nadolo.
George Burgess played over 150 NRL games and amassed 15 caps for England before his retirement from rugby league in 2022. Photo / Photosport
“People want to see competition and this is definitely the purest form of that – two guys up against each other and one’s going to come off the best," Burgess said.
The sport 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 says on the Runit Championship League website.
Among those in attendance at the Auckland trials this week would be professional New Zealand boxer Joseph Parker and potentially the cross-code superstar Sonny Bill Williams – who Burgess said were both fans of the concept.
“[Williams] used to put the big hits on and put the hits on me a few times while I was playing against him, so he’d be someone we’d look to get involved.”
But the sport has been slammed by New Zealand Rugby and criticised by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) experts who say the risk of significant injury is high given the intent to collide.
Asked what was being done to mitigate the risk of serious head injuries in association with the league, Burgess said “with any contact sport, there’s going to be that risk”.
“As there is [risk] in the UFC, rugby league, union, any sport. We’re not different here, but we will be going to the best measures to make sure the players are protected and prepared.
“We’re not getting anyone in off the street, we’re vetting the athletes ... they’re athletes that know what they’re doing, they know how to hit and how to protect themselves.”
Despite this, the Herald understands at least two of the eight competitors in the first Melbourne final were knocked unconscious.
“I think the real danger is when you get two amateurs going up against each other that don’t really know the movement. That’s when people can get hurt.
“That’s a part of my role ... to make sure each competitor is briefed with the target zone when they’re tackling, and also when they’re running, how to protect themselves.”
Last month, the Herald revealed a man was knocked unconscious and suffered an apparent seizure during a similar event not associated to Runit in Australia as hundreds of children looked on.
The high-impact collision sport has knocked out one contestant, who was then mobbed by spectators. Photo / TikTok
Burgess condemned the event – hosted and filmed by YouTube content creators – calling it “rogue”.
He said Runit was trying to host “very professional” events, with a number of doctors involved. Mouthguards are mandatory and the league was working on designs for more protective gear, he said.
“We’re just working as we go ... we don’t even have a governing body yet so that’s something we’re trying to establish so we can really control what’s happening in the sport.”
Runit organisers last month said knockouts could potentially occur – but this was not the aim of their game.
“We disallow tackles below the waist and above the shoulders. A knockout like any other combat sport is a byproduct. Unlike other combat sport, however, it is not our aim.”
‘We definitely want to go global’: Burgess says interest in sport is world-wide
Burgess – who has been put in charge of partnerships and communications for the league – says he believes there would be interest in the sport globally.
“We come from the Roman times where people used to go watch gladiators in the arena, so we’re not too far removed from that.”
The league is set to travel to America, Saudi Arabia and the UK later in the year.
“We definitely want to go global with this sport,“ Burgess said of the prospect of taking it to the Middle East. ”I think there’s going to be interest anywhere we go."
He said he was passionate about taking the league to the north of England, where he grew up and where two of his brothers – who also made successful careers out of rugby league – are based.
“It’s very much in its infancy, but we’re deadly serious about the future of it and we just need to make sure it’s all solid.”
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.
