A neuroscientist has issued an urgent warning after a teenager sadly passed away after playing a new contact sport.
A 19-year-old New Zealand man, Ryan Satterthwaite, has died after sustaining critical injuries during a “run it straight” tackle game, an unsanctioned contact sport that’s exploded across social media but is now facing fierce backlash for its dangers, per Stuff.
The fatal incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in Palmerston North, where Ryan and his friends were playing an impromptu match based on the viral sport.
Despite being rushed to the hospital, he tragically passed away on Monday night.
Manawatu commander Inspector Ross Grantham confirmed the teen's death was linked to the controversial trend.
“While this was an impromptu game among friends, not a planned event, this tragic outcome does highlight the inherent safety concerns with such an activity,” he said. “We would urge anyone thinking about taking part in a game or event like this to consider the significant safety and injury risks.”
And the risks are all too real. Leading sports neuroscientist Dr Alan Pearce weighed in, saying it was sadly inevitable.
“This was a matter of time really, as sad as that is to say,” Dr Pearce told news.com.au on Tuesday. “The concern is that this can happen at any level. Even in the sanctioned ‘run it’ events someone will probably die in that at some point as well.”
He didn’t hold back on his assessment of the trend’s dangers: “It can’t be done safely and when there’s kids and teens that see it they like to copy what they see online, and this is something that absolutely not should be copied. It is the biggest please do not try this at home disclaimer if I’ve ever seen one.”
What is Run It Straight?
'Run It Straight' — or ‘RUNIT’ — has taken social media by storm over the last few months. With accounts like ‘Run it Straight Official’ and the ‘RUNIT Championship League’ gaining massive followings, the trend has gone from internet stunt to underground sport.
The rules? Four rounds of brute-force contact along a 10-meter grass runway. One player carries a rugby league ball while the other attempts a full-speed tackle.
The goal is simple - but dangerous: either take down your opponent or bowl them over. If both remain standing, judges pick a winner based on “damage".
Yes, you read that right — the winner is judged by how much damage they inflict.
This tragic death comes just one week after two competitors were knocked unconscious and needed medical assistance during a ‘Run It Straight’ event at Auckland’s Trust Arena.
Earlier this year, Dr Pearce spoke out about the dangers, questioning the logic behind such a brutal spectacle.
“I just cannot understand how they could take the most violent aspect of sport (contact) and just turn it into a spectacle where the objective is just to try and knock out or hurt your opponent,” he said.
“In a lot of these other sports (such as NRL, AFL and rugby union) you’re trying to avoid direct contact whereas this is purely running at each other, it’s insanity.”
Dr Pearce suggested that part of the appeal might stem from a misguided backlash against modern safety rules in traditional sports.
“A lot of these people competing have a footy background and if anything it’s worse as they have already likely had several head knocks which add up a lot quicker than people realise,” he said.
“Then there’s the idea that (contact) sport is getting soft. But that’s incorrect, it is actually getting far harder as the athletes are now bigger, stronger and faster than ever before, just look at the injury lists every week.
“We are seeing at all levels of the game higher injury rates but yet people are still complaining that sports are getting soft because we’re trying to crack down on things that are causing damage to our brains and bodies.
“So to them, I’d say you look at the evidence first before making comments around the game getting soft. We’re just basically trying to be more responsible in looking after our athletes as they are not just commodities.”