Death of a teenager: demands for prohibition of the dangerous tackling game

Death of a teenager: demands for prohibition of the dangerous tackling game

A new, aspiring sports trend, inspired by the toughest full contact strokes in American football and rugby, has proven to be dangerous and is now calling for a ban. The discipline “Run IT Straight” developed under an organized league stipulates that two people run directly together to create a highly impact collision without protective clothing. The one who is dominant wins.

premiums and tragic incidents

tens of thousands of dollars are advertised as prize money for organized events in New Zealand and Australia. The game has developed into a social media hype, with young people often trying it out at home-with tragic consequences. Ryan Satterthwaite died in the hospital on Monday after a challenge in the back yard in the small town of Palmerston North had failed tragically. The New Zealand police reported that the 19-year-old had suffered a serious head injury.

his uncle, Pete Satterthwaite, reported to the news partner of CNN, rnz that Ryan was at a birthday party of a friend on Saturday, a round of Play game that has become so popular in New Zealand.

The dangers of the game

Pete Satterthwaite expressed that when he saw local news reports about “Run IT”, he immediately thought that that was a “stupid idea” and instinctively knew that “everyone could be seriously injured”. However, he would not have expected that it would be his own nephew. "The ultimate goal is to hurt your opponent, run over him ... you carry your shoulder, lead with your head," he said. He added: “Regardless of whether medical staff is present on the site, it is still the stupidest thing I have ever seen.”

call for caution

The New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon warned people not to participate in the Tackli game and called it a “stupid thing”. "We hear the council of the police, the medical world, the government and the headmaster who all say that you shouldn't do it," Luxon told local media on Friday and asked the organizers of formal events to stop them.

After the calls to prohibit the Tackliech, New Zealand Minister Mark Mitchell informed on Friday that he had obtained advice on which measures the government could take to proceed against the “unregulated activities with considerable risk”.

precautionary measures and regulatory claims

The game “Run IT Straight” combines elements from American football and rugby - two sports that Tackling have in common, but with clear rules to protect the players. Footballers wear a helmet and thick padding to be protected from highly impact tackles. Rugby players, on the other hand, play without a helmet and with little padding, with Tackles only allowed below the shoulders.

The new sport was partially made popular by a company called Runit Championship League, which claims that the game was "born to go viral" and states that they have surprised social media with tens of million. CEO Charizma, who is actually called Christian Lesa, explained that the concept was created when he was treated in the hospital because of his mental health.

The risks of RUN IT Straight

According to Professor Patria Hume from Auckland University of Technology, the “Run IT Straight” collisions are more than five times as strong as a rugby tray, which leads to a high risk of brain injuries or even deaths. "Ryan's death was avoidable. It was a copy of the running events in the back yard, which were designed for social media," said Hume.

“Runit lacks the structure, the security protocols and the purpose of traditional sports. While rugby, boxing and MMA are naturally physical, they are subject to rules that aim to minimize damage and protect athletes.”

reactions and measures in New Zealand

Stacey Mowbray, CEO of the brain injury organization Headway, described the trend sports game as no sport and described it as “Reckless, Glorified Violence”. "We raised the alarm in New Zealand when we heard about Run IT Straight Challenge and warned of the high risk of brain injuries or death," continued Mowbray. “Social media were used to address our young people with the message that it is a bit fun. It is not. It is fatal.”

A spokesman for Runit Championship League indicated that no imitation of sport would be promoted and that this should only be done under “strict conditions”. "All running events follow established protocols, including the aptitude test of the participants and strict guidelines for tackling (only between shoulders and hips), with qualified medical support and medical reviews during and after the competition," said the speaker.

The future of RUN IT Straight

The discussions about the dangers and the responsibility of the organizers are increasing, while New Zealand Rugby published an explanation in which people are warned, “not to take part in Run IT Straight games or competitions, as they have a considerable risk of serious injuries.” Several schools in New Zealand have already decided to ban students to play the game on the school premises, alike in some public parks in the largest city in the country, Auckland, was banned by a local council.

David Bovey, Rector of the Palmerston North Boys ’High School - which Ryan Satterthwaite visited a few years ago - expressed that he was planning to warn his students of the risks of the game before he found out about Ryan's death. "It is an absolute tragedy ... you could almost say that something like that had to happen," said Bovey, while noting that he received the message to the students 20 minutes before his speech.

“Teenager boys are terrible in thinking about consequences, and they never think that something is happening to them, and so something like this has really met with regard to the message that we convey to the boys-'This is something I shouldn't do'