The future of the collision sport “run it straight” in New Zealand hangs in the balance, with the Government seeking advice on what actions can be taken against it.
It comes after 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite died at Palmerston North Hospital on Monday from serious head injuries suffered while partaking in the social media craze.
Run it straight has been touted as the world’s fiercest new collision sport. It involves a runner and a tackler running full speed at each other on a 20m x 4m “battlefield”, with victory belonging to the one who dominates the collision.
Sport and Recreation Minister Mark Mitchell told the Herald the event was not supported, promoted, endorsed by, or associated with any Government agency.
“I have made my concerns clear and have asked officials for advice in terms of what powers and actions can be taken by the Government to respond to unregulated activities and events that pose a significant level of risk.”
Mitchell said he had sought advice from Sport New Zealand and expected to hear back today.
Sport NZ group chief executive Raelene Castle told the Herald it was concerned about the emergence of run it straight, “which clearly comes with significant health and safety risks”.
“Both Sport NZ and High Performance Sport NZ (HPSNZ) are committed to fostering safe and inclusive activities and events for all New Zealanders.
“We are working to facilitate a cross-agency discussion with those who have an interest in this area on what a Government approach to the operation of combat sport, including the emergence of activities and events like run it straight, in New Zealand could look like.”
Castle said Sport NZ advised people not to participate in activities that encouraged high-speed collisions.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon earlier called Satterthwaite’s death an “absolute tragedy” and said people should take personal responsibility.
Speaking to media this morning, Luxon echoed his views, saying all evidence suggested that partaking in the sport is “a dumb thing to do”.
“When it’s happening at a 21st birthday party unofficially, that is not something the Government can solve through legislation or through regulation.
“All I can say to young adults who are participating is you’ve got some personal responsibility in this. You’re hearing the advice from police, from the medical fraternity, from Government, from principals saying don’t do it.
“To the adults that are involved in more formal organisation of it and are influencing it and leading this out on social media, I think you need to stop and I can’t be any clearer.
“The evidence is that it’s a dumb thing to do and you should stop.”
Professor Patria Hume, sports scientist and injury prevention expert at Auckland University of Technology, said earlier that Satterthwaite’s death was preventable.
“Last week, in media interviews, I stated that it is very clear from the number of concussions from the small number of ‘running at each other events’ that have occurred, that this is going to result in death,” Hume said.
“I also said it unfortunately takes a death to make people take notice and to stop these high-injury-risk activities.”
She said the collisions in run it straight were more than five times the force of a typical rugby tackle.
“People are not trying to evade each other, but are purposefully hitting each other as hard as they can.”
Sports Medicine New Zealand national chairman Dr Stephen Kara said the biomechanics of the sport’s collisions were “comparable to severe car crashes”.
“When two 105kg participants – the average body mass of rugby players – sprint towards each other, the impact force can exceed 16,800 newtons. This force is over three times that of a professional boxer’s punch and more than 1.5 times the force of falling from 2m.”
He said such high-impact collisions carried a significant risk of severe brain injury, fractures and death.
“This activity doesn’t just endanger participants, but makes a mockery of the considerable effort and investment contact sports have made on impact-readiness training, brain injury awareness, reporting and management, all in a bid to ensure the safety and wellbeing of athletes.
“[It] is not a sport. It is jousting without sticks and, whilst that may have been a sport in medieval times, it has no place in today’s sporting arenas.”
Speaking to media on Wednesday, players from the Warriors said their knowledge of the social media craze was limited.
The Warriors’ position of not knowing about run it straight is an intriguing one, given five-eighths Chanel Harris-Tavita was a guest judge and promoter for the inaugural Runit Championship League event, hosted at West Auckland’s Trusts Arena earlier this month.
Coach Andrew Webster said he didn’t know much about it, but that “any contact sport should be done in a safe environment”.
Both New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) and New Zealand Rugby have released statements condemning the sport.
“NZRL is not associated with nor encourages participation in any events or collision sports like Runit,” NZRL said.
“It’s concerning to see people in these events putting themselves at risk of serious injury, and we strongly encourage our rugby league community to only participate in games or events organised or sanctioned by NZRL, our zones and districts, or our associates.”
Former All Blacks captain and Moana Pasifika coach Tana Umaga said participants in events such as the Runit Championship League were likely “just trying to get ahead in life”.
“I just see they are predominantly our people – Māori and Pacific Islanders – who are just trying to get ahead in life.
“My situation is different to theirs, so it’s hard to judge in terms of why they do it. I can see why they’re doing it, because it could give them a bit of a stepping stone into making a better life for them and their families.
“But it is just about making sure that they keep themselves safe.”
Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea expressed his condolences to the teenager who was killed this week while participating in a copycat run it straight-style game.
“It’s hard, because it kind of made me the rugby player I am. I used to do run it straights in the backyard with Bus [brother Julian Savea] – so you kind of see both sides.
“I’d just encourage people to be safe.”
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.