Teenager dies after ‘dangerous’ social media rugby trend

A 19-year-old man has died after taking part in a dangerous TikTok trend.

Ryan Satterthwaite died on Monday after taking part in the game with friends on Sunday.

His family was forced to turn off his life support after he suffered serious head injuries.

Ryan, from Palmerston North in the central North Island in New Zealand, was playing a rugby-style tackling game called Run It Straight which has been described as ‘the world’s fiercest new combat sport’.

During the match, two players run at each other over a 65ft ‘battlefield’ without any protective equipment, as one tries to take a rugby ball the other is holding.

Ryan’s friends rushed him to hospital after he ‘started going downhill’ following the match – but he never regained consciousness.

Ryan Satterthwaite died on Monday (Picture: Instagram)

The game has been played casually in Australia and New Zealand for years, but it’s recently reached new audiences thanks to social media.

Manawatū police area commander Inspector Ross Grantham said Satterthwaite had died ‘as a result of participating in what I understand to be a social media frenzy’.

He said Ryan’s death highlighted the ‘inherent safety concerns with such an activity’ – and the trend has been criticised by neuroscientists and brain injury specialists.

Neuroscientist Dr Helen Murray told the NZ Herald: ‘There is clearly a high risk of head injury in this event. There’s no attempt to reduce head acceleration, so I do not support it.’

Professor Patria Hume, an expert in sports science and injury prevention, said the sport is a ‘step backwards’ and described it as a ‘reckless and dangerous spectacle’.

‘The science is clear – repeated head impacts increase risk of long-term brain damage,’ she added.

The event drew a large crowd (Picture: Getty Images/Hannah Peters)

And Headway, a charity dedicated to improving understanding of brain injuries, told ITV News: ‘Trends like this are dangerous because they encourage copycat behaviour often among young people who may not fully understand the serious risks involved.

‘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.’

A Run It Straight championship was recently hosted in the New Zealand capital of Auckland, and more than 1,000 people turned up to watch.

Eight men competed for the NZ$20,000 (£8,800) prize money, but some were injured during their matches, with one man falling to the ground and appearing to have a seizure after colliding with his opponent.

The winners were set to attend a final competition next month at Auckland’s Trust Arena for a grand prize of NZ$250,000 (£110,000) – but the stadium has now pulled out of hosting the event due to ‘overwhelming concern’ caused by the ‘high-risk nature’ of the event.

Run It Straight’s founder, Christian Lesa, said the game should only be played under strict conditions, and support for the game is still strong.

Event spokesperson Billy Coffey aid organised competitions involve waivers, pre- and post-medicals, and on-site ambulances.

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