NZ Teen Dies Copying Viral Rugby Tackle Challenge: What Is Collision Sport RUNIT Straight?

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Last Updated:May 28, 2025, 13:52 IST

RUNIT Straight has grown successful societal media popularity done an Australian league which offers currency prizes to competitors. Experts accidental competitors tally a hazard of superior encephalon injury

RUNIT involves 2 competitors, a runner and a tackler, moving astatine each different and colliding head-on connected a battlefield. (RUNIT/Instagram)

Ryan Satterthwaite, a 19-year-old from New Zealand, died aft imitating a caller rugby-inspired tackling crippled trending connected societal media, RUNIT oregon RUNIT Straight, successful which competitors tally astatine each different and collide head-on to sound the different idiosyncratic down portion wearing nary protective equipment.

Police confirmed Satterthwaite suffered a caput wounded connected Sunday portion playing a backyard crippled with friends successful the North Island metropolis of Palmerston North. He died connected Monday arsenic a effect of his injuries.

WHAT IS RUNIT?

RUNIT is based loosely connected the interaction elements of rugby union, rugby league oregon the NFL and involves 2 competitors, a runner and a tackler, moving astatine each different and colliding head-on connected a 20 metre by 4 metre (65 ft by 13 foot) country known arsenic a battlefield.

Organisers person promoted the lawsuit arsenic “the world’s fiercest caller collision sport".

The crippled has grown successful societal media popularity done the Australian RUNIT Championship League which offers currency prizes to competitors.

PLAYERS CAN’T

• Trick oregon dodge
• Wear protective gear

TRIAL EVENTS, PRIZE MONEY

Two proceedings events successful Auckland successful caller weeks saw 8 men vie for 20,000 New Zealand dollars (USD 12,000) successful beforehand of much than 1,000 spectators.

Winners were expected to spell into a title lawsuit adjacent period with prize wealth of up to 250,000 New Zealand dollars (USD 150,000).

Two different events successful Auckland were cancelled erstwhile organisers were incapable to get permits.

WHAT RUNNIT SAID

The RUNIT Championship League released a connection to the New Zealand quality website Stuff connected Tuesday, saying it “does not promote immoderate copying of the athletics arsenic it should lone beryllium done nether the strict conditions".

“This is tragic quality and our hearts spell retired to the household and friends of Ryan. Any interaction athletics similar boxing, martial arts oregon combat-style activities should lone beryllium held successful highly controlled environments which see nonrecreational aesculapian supervision and support."

EXPERTS, POLICE WARN OF RISKS

RUNIT has been powerfully condemned by experts successful caput injuries who accidental competitors tally a precocious hazard of a superior encephalon injury.

Area constabulary commandant Inspector Ross Grantham described Satterthwaite’s decease arsenic “a immense tragedy" and urged others to “consider the important information and wounded risks" of the crippled which is known arsenic RUNIT oregon RUNIT Straight.

“A young antheral mislaid his beingness arsenic a effect of participating successful what I recognize to beryllium a societal media frenzy," Grantham said. “While this is not a transgression matter, constabulary volition proceed to undertake inquiries connected behalf of the coroner," Grantham said.

Grantham said, “The tackle crippled played by the radical of friends was based connected a societal media-driven inclination wherever participants vie successful full-contact collisions without protective gear. While this was an impromptu crippled among friends, not a planned event, this tragic result does item the inherent information concerns with specified an activity."

With AP inputs

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News world NZ Teen Dies Copying Viral Rugby Tackle Challenge: What Is Collision Sport RUNIT Straight?