RUNIT Auckland. Trusts Stadium. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport
- Grieving family calls on sports stars and social influencers to speak out about the dangers of run it-style games
- Former All Black Eroni Clarke tells people to stay away
- Schools move to ban run it tackling games from their grounds.
A former All Black has answered the call of a bereaved family and spoken out about the dangers of Run It -style games.
Saveatama Eroni Clarke, the Pasifika Engagement Manager for NZ Rugby, says his advice for anyone considering taking part is simple: "Don't do it".
His words come after the death of 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite in Palmerston North this week.
He suffered a head injury when playing a Run It-style game with friends and his uncle Pete has called on social media influences and sports stars to [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/562363/uncle-of-ryan-satterthwaite-calls-for-cancellation-of-run-it-events
speak out about the dangers] of such games.
Clarke told Checkpoint today it would be hard to ban the game, but he encouraged people to stay away and, if they wanted to take part in a contact sport, join a rugby team and receive proper coaching.
That message was echoed by NZ Rugby in a statement.
"There's too much risk involved doing these. We've seen now the extreme of it and the high risk that it brings - head trauma," Clarke said.
Top-level players were told not to back Run It events due to the dangers and risks associated with them.
"That's been the message to the players - you can't be seen to support something like this."
Former All Black Steve Devine, who has suffered from the after-effects on concussion, also didn't mince his words.
"It's a recipe for disaster having two large forces meet and the sudden impact or sudden stoppage for either person generally doesn't bode very well for the brain."
However, after training today New Zealand Warriors James Fisher-Harris and Adam Pompey, and coach Andrew Webster, weren't keen to discuss the issue, saying they weren't aware of it.
Schools act fast to ban craze
Ryan Satterthwait's former school, Palmerston North Boys' High School, had already planned to discuss the issue at its assembly on Monday before it heard what happened to him.
And other schools were also confronting the social media-fed fad.
Gisborne Boys' High School told its 820 students that Run It games were banned on Monday, just hours before Satterthwaite's life support was turned off, said headmaster Tom Cairns.
"We had an incident last week where we had a game of Run It Straight started up and staff on duty on the back fields saw it and stopped it pretty promptly.
"It's something that's obviously captured the attention of the New Zealand public and our boys are no different," he said.
"We're not going to have boys taking part in something like that. The way we discussed it was, it's basically violence.
"There's no real sporting aspect to it. I don't see anyone going to Run It Straight practice after school. It's really just people lining up and assaulting each other."
If it's played at school it would be regarded as fighting, he said.
Ryan Satterthwaite. Photo: Instagram
The school worked closely with the Mātai Medical Research Institute and Cairns planned to ask one of its experts to speak to the boys and show the effect of traumatic brain impacts.
In Auckland, Rowandale Primary school principal Karl Vassau said its board of trustees would meet tonight to discuss how it could respond.
"With that type of activity it seems like something that lots of our children will find pretty cool and interesting to watch.
"What we are wanting to make sure is that our children know that it is unsafe and if they were to start playing this type of game at school that is definitely not acceptable."
The Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board had banned run it straight events from parks in its area and board chairman Tauanu'u Nick Bakulich said it was asking schools to act too.
"We see no value of these events so we are very concerned, given what we know in regards concussion and head injuries.
"We, as a board, will be writing to our local principal associations for schools to be vigilant and ensure they shut down any similar-type activities that are held on their school grounds."
Not a sport
Sport NZ board member Fauono Ken Laban says Run It Straight is not a sport.
He said it was a hyped up social media creation of uncontrolled violence with no rules and no laws.
The tragic death of Satterthwaite at the weekend was a stark reminder it should be banned from public parks, he said.
Satterthwaite's death was a complete waste of life in an event that is a waste of time.
The former police officer, league player and coach said he didn't know what Sport NZ could do because they don't regard it as a sport.
He said Run It was an immature attempt of fake toughness.
