Footage of a “run it straight” competition in Sydney has had millions of views and caused one former NRL player to distance himself from the sport.
The Run Nation Championship (RNC) held its latest event at Horden Pavilion last week.
Heavyweight UFC fighter Tai Tuivasa and South Sydney Rabbitohs playerCody Walker were among the thousands in the stands.
But former NRL front-rower Josh Aloiai has distanced himself from the sport after working as a coach for the event’s competitors.
In a video he posted on social media, the league player said, “After coaching at RNC last night, that’s not something I could ever be involved in again.
“As a coach, man, I could not do that again, feels like you’re just preparing dudes to go and get their heads knocked off and get brain bleeds and tap them on the back and squirt water in their face.”
Aloiai said the people behind the scenes did try to make the event as safe as possible, but he felt the sport was too dangerous to continue and pointed to moments where he attended to competitors who were knocked out.
Former NRL player Josh Aloiai has distanced himself from Run Nation Championship after coaching at a recent Sydney event. Photo / Instagram
“There was moments where I was holding these dudes who’d just gotten knocked clean out, and they’re snoring in front of a whole stadium of people yelling, and I’m like, ‘What the heck am I doing here?’”
Tremaine Fernandez, founder and CEO of RNC, told the Herald thatAloiai was entitled to his views and the company respects any athlete’s decision about their involvement in any sport.
“For clarity, Josh was scheduled to be involved in a coaching capacity,” Fernandez said.
“However, his direct involvement in athlete preparation was limited, and he did not attend training sessions to support the athletes in the lead-up to the event.
“Run Nation operates with defined rules, medical screening, and independent authority during competition.
“Athlete safety and oversight remain central to how we structure the format, and that will continue to evolve as the sport develops.”
Vulangi Olosoni, who won the Runit Championship League final, a competitor to RNC, in June, previously apologised for his role in influencing young people to take part in the controversial sport after the death of New Zealand teenager Ryan Satterthwaite.
Clips of the events continue to prove popular online, with clips of RNC’s latest event being viewed more than three million times on the combat sports-focused Instagram page Happy Punch.
Videos posted to RNC’s own page have pulled in similar views, while the organisation teased that details for its next event are set to be released soon.
