Warnings over viral “RUNIT” sports trend after 19-year-old dies of head injury

Wellington, New Zealand —  A 19-year-old New Zealand man has died after taking part in a new tackling game that’s trending on social media in which competitors run at each other and collide while wearing no protective equipment. Police confirmed Ryan Satterthwaite suffered a head injury on Sunday while playing a backyard game with friends in the North Island city of Palmerston North. He died on Monday as a result of his injuries.

Area police commander Inspector Ross Grantham described Satterthwaite’s death as “a huge tragedy” and urged others to “consider the significant safety and injury risks” of the game that is known as RUNIT or RUNIT Straight.

“A young man lost his life as a result of participating in what I understand to be a social media frenzy,” Grantham said. “While this is not a criminal matter, police will continue to undertake inquiries on behalf of the coroner.”

Grantham said “the tackle game played by the group of friends was based on a social media-driven trend where participants compete in full-contact collisions without protective gear.

“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.”

RUNIT is based loosely on the contact elements of rugby union, rugby league or the NFL and involves two competitors, a runner and a tackler, running at each other and colliding on a 65 foot by 13 foot area known as a battlefield.

The game has grown in social media popularity through the Australian RUNIT Championship League, which offers cash prizes to competitors. Organizers promote the event as “the world’s fiercest new collision sport.”

Two trial events in Auckland in recent weeks saw eight men compete for 20,000 New Zealand dollars ($12,000) in front of more than 1,000 spectators. Winners were expected to go into a championship event next month with prize money of up to 250,000 New Zealand dollars ($150,000).

Two other events in Auckland were canceled when organizers were unable to obtain permits.

The RUNIT Championship League released a statement to the New Zealand news website Stuff on Tuesday, saying it “does not encourage any copying of the sport as it should only be done under the strict conditions.”

“This is tragic news and our hearts go out to the family and friends of Ryan. Any contact sport like boxing, martial arts or combat-style activities should only be held in highly controlled environments which include professional medical supervision and support.”

RUNIT has been strongly condemned by experts in head injuries who say competitors run a high risk of a serious brain injury.

It is by no means the first social media-fueled trend to draw safety warnings after a tragedy. Medical experts have been forced to warn people, and young people in particular, about the risks of everything from inhaling solvents to abusing over-the-counter medications and even snorting condoms.