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3mo ago

19-Year-Old Dies After Head Injury in Viral ‘Run-It-Straight’ Tackle Game

Medical specialists warn of significant brain trauma risks, with organisers saying only sanctioned RUNIT events follow safety protocols.

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In the game RUNIT, inspired by Rugby, competitors run towards each other to collide without protective gear.
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Overview

  • On May 25, 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite suffered a severe head injury playing an informal RUNIT tackle game with friends in Palmerston North and died two days later.
  • The “Run-It-Straight” challenge involves a runner and a tackler charging full speed at each other across a 20 m by 4 m field without protective gear.
  • Social media videos have fueled organised RUNIT events in New Zealand and Australia offering cash prizes and attracting some former professional rugby players.
  • Sports injury and neuroscience experts have condemned the unprotected collisions as posing high risks of concussions and long-term neurological damage.
  • Police have classified the incident as non-criminal but continue coroner-led inquiries, and the official RUNIT Championship League has urged participants to stick to its medically supervised events.