A 19-year-old in New Zealand has died after taking part in the deadly ‘Run It Straight’ trend, with experts speaking out on the dangers of the game.
Ryan Satterthwaite passed away on Monday night (26 May) after a tackle during a game with his friends lead to a serious head injury.
The trend has long been going in Australia and New Zealand, often making its way over here in different forms. But it’s seen a bit of a resurgence recently thanks to going viral on social media.
And while young people continue to play it, health experts have repeatedly issued calls for it to be banned as they warn of the potential severe injuries.
Manawatū police area commander Inspector Ross Grantham said that the 19-year-old’s death highlighted the ‘inherent safety concerns’ of the Run It Straight trend.
What is the ‘Run It Straight’ trend?
With no protective gear in sight, the ‘game’ essentially sees two people run directly at each other, at full force.
Sometimes one of them will be carrying a rugby ball but the main aim is to knock the other person over. The collision track is a narrow 20-metre field with the ‘winner’ of the collision moving on to the next ‘round’.
There has even been Run-It-Straight events set up with over 1,000 people showing up to watch ‘the world’s fiercest new collision sport’ in Auckland previously.
Tragic death of 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite
Police said that Satterthwaite died in hospital of a ‘serious head injury’ following a game of Run It Straight. He underwent emergency surgery on Sunday but couldn’t be saved.
“We would urge anyone thinking about taking part in a game or event like this to consider the significant safety and injury risks," Grantham said in a statement.
"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."
The teen’s uncle, Peter Satterthwaite, explained he enjoyed playing rugby and had been celebrating a friend’s birthday.
“They just carried on celebrating, knew about the game, thought it’d be good fun to play,” he told the New Zealand Herald. “It was just a freak accident and he hit his head.”
He added that he felt bad for the lad’s friends as he said: “It was nobody’s fault, just a little bit of fun that’s turned tragic.”
Warnings against the 'Run It Straight' trend
Colin Morris, of Headway (a charity promoting understanding around brain injuries), told ITV News that games like Run It Straight carry a ‘high-risk of potentially life-threatening injuries’.
"Trends like this are dangerous because they encourage copycat behaviour often among young people who may not fully understand the serious risks involved," he said.
"Participants will often have no medical supervision or support on hand if something goes wrong. One blow to the head can result in death or lead to permanent damage, affecting memory, mood, mobility, and even personality.
"It’s simply not worth the risk."
He explained that forceful collisions could lead to the likes of bleeds on the brain, swelling of the brain, diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and second impact syndrome (SIS).
Professor Patria Hume, an expert in sports science and injury prevention, added to Mail Online that it’s a ‘step backwards’.
She said: “This is a reckless and dangerous spectacle. The science is clear – repeated head impacts increase risk of long-term brain damage.”