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yesterday

New Zealand teenager killed in viral ‘Run It Straight’ collision challenge

Authorities are investigating the death that prompted experts to call for strict oversight of unsanctioned full-contact challenges

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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

  • Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, died after sustaining a critical head injury during an impromptu ‘Run It Straight’ tackle game with friends in Palmerston North on May 25.
  • Participants in the craze charge head-on across a 20 m by 4 m ‘battlefield’ without helmets or pads, creating significant concussion and brain-trauma risks.
  • Sports neuroscientists and injury-prevention experts have condemned the unsupervised collisions as likely to cause irreversible neurological damage and preventable deaths.
  • Organisers of the RUNIT Championship League stress strict participant screening, medical supervision and six-figure prize pools, yet two Auckland events were recently cancelled for permit and safety breaches.
  • New Zealand Police said the incident will be investigated on behalf of the coroner and have urged the public to reconsider participating in similar impromptu tackle games.