RUNIT organisers say controversial new ‘sport’ will continue despite tragedy and widespread condemnation

It’s been condemned by medical professionals, while a high profile NRL player has cut ties with country’s most controversial new “sport”. But what is RUNIT?

RUNIT straight is the country's newest and most controversial viral craze. Picture: Instagram

Organisers of a controversial new combat sport say RUNIT is “here to stay” despite widespread backlash after a teenager in New Zealand died from head injuries suffered in a ‘run it straight’ style game with friends.

RUNIT Championship League touts itself as the world’s newest combat sport, and has racked up tens of millions of views on social media since taking off online earlier this year.

But the new craze has more critics than fans, with CTE specialists slamming it, and the New Zealand Rugby League and the New Zealand Warriors both distancing themselves from the dangerous new sport.

Melbourne Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solmona was heavily involved in the early days of RUNIT, but has since cut ties.

Meanwhile All Blacks star Ardie Savea and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon – have also weighed in.

Criticism of the high-impact “sport” intensified last week when 19-year-old teenager Ryan Satterthwaite passed away after suffering head injuries playing a private game with friends in Palmerston North in New Zealand.

Kiwi teenager Ryan Satterthwaite passed away last week after playing a 'run it straight' style game with friends. Picture: Supplied

According to his uncle, Satterthwaite was inspired to try the online craze with friends, but sustained head injuries last Sunday.

He was taken to hospital, but died a day later.

Melbourne-based organisation RUNIT – the most high profile and well-funded of the several outfits staging ‘run it straight’ challenges – distanced themselves from the tragic incident, while promoting the safety of their events.

“We do not encourage any copying of the sport as it should only be performed under the strict conditions,” a RUNIT spokesperson told Code Sports.

“RUNIT is planning future events over the coming months and will continue to educate our followers on the risks associated.”

As debate raged, RUNIT founder Rennie Lautolo-Molimau wrote “We’re here to stay” in an Instagram story on Wednesday while sharing a screenshot showing that UFC commentator and podcast giant Joe Rogan had followed their official RUNIT Instagram page.

WHAT IS RUNIT?

The RUNIT Championship League promotes itself as “the world’s fiercest, new collision sport,” and sees two competitors – an attacker with a rugby ball, and a defender – run at each other from opposite ends of a 20m “battlefield.”

Think of a turbo-charged, 1-on-1 rugby league kick-off return and you’ve got a fair idea of how it works.

“Victory belongs to the one who dominates the collision,” the RUNIT website says.

It’s straight from rugby league and union training paddocks, and even the NFL has a version of it called The Oklahoma Drill.

It exploded as a “sport” in its own right earlier this year after moving from footy training grounds to parks around Western Sydney and south Brisbane.

It was underground, unsanctioned and massively popular in Pacific Island communities on both sides of the Tasman.

It’s also tailor made for social media.

Short clips of big men creating even bigger collisions have gone viral on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube and within weeks, the training ground drill had organically become an internet sensation.

FOOTY DISTANCES ITSELF

RUNIT AU burst onto the scene in March, and immediately turned the cult ‘run it straight’ craze into a well-funded, well-produced event with sponsors and plenty of media coverage.

Melbourne Storm stars including Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jahrome Hughes, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Will Warbrick were in attendance at a trial event in March.

RUNIT then leveraged those appearances, turning video and interview footage into promotional clips for social media.

Asofa-Solomona was heavily involved in the early days of RUNIT, and in February appeared in a promotional video spruiking the new competition.

The front rower has since parted ways with RUNIT over safety concerns, but promotional material involving him and his Storm teammates remains online.

Asofa-Solomona is now promoting a much safer competition called ‘Big Steppa’, which is similar to RUNIT, but instead of encouraging big collisions, the goal is to evade the defender and score at the other end.

The Melbourne Storm isn’t involved with RUNIT in any capacity, and a spokesman told Code Sports Papenhuyzen, Hughes and Warbrick only attended one event to support Asofa-Solomona.

At its first event in Auckland in late May, RUNIT promoted an appearance by Warriors half Chanel Harris-Tavita, while former winger Manu Vatuvei was a keen observer.

“The One New Zealand Warriors have no association with RunIt or similar events, and won’t comment on the rules or regulations of other sports, emerging or professional,” the Warriors told Code Sports.

Code Sports reached out to the NRL, but it declined to comment, while a Rugby Australia spokesperson said the organisation “does not condone the concept and wants absolutely nothing to do with it.”

THE KNOCKOUTS

RUNIT’s first tournament was held at the Melbourne Pavilion on April 30.

An Insta story shared by RUNIT co-founder Rennie Lautolo-Molimau. Picture: Instagram

The whole thing was streamed online and the winner walked away with $20,000.

Former Rabbitohs forward George Burgess and ex-Test rugby union winger Nemani Nadolo took part in an exhibition ‘run it straight’ challenge, but there were worrying signs from the very first contest.

Canberra’s Curtis Malaetasi was brutally knocked out and fell off the narrow “battlefield,” in the very first collision, ending his tournament.

In the second showdown, Troy Pulupaki was KOed upon impact and fell backwards to the ground with a sickening thud.

By the end of the win-and-advance tournament, the winner - Teremaia Semi-osa - had endured 13 high-impact collisions.

Three weeks later, RUNIT held another event in West Auckland, where similar scenes took place.

SAFETY

Massive impacts between very large humans – and the resulting KOs – have made the sport catch on.

But those kinds of hits don’t usually win ‘run it straight’ competitions.

RUNIT competitors are only allowed to make impact between the hips and the shoulders, and qualified medical professionals are on hand at every event.

Billy Coffey is a veteran footy player, a widely respected trainer and is RUNIT’s “technique analyst”.

He says timing and accuracy are more important than power.

“Get your timing right, set into the zone, pick it, side of the body and wrap the arms,” Coffey says in a demonstration video on Instagram.

“Make it legit. Don’t make it a full-blown coliseum collision.

“Let’s get smart, let’s show people what this sport’s about, and let’s make some impacts.”

BACKLASH

Even before Satterthwaite’s death, scrutiny was intensifying on Run it Straight-style competitions – particularly across the Tasman.

Two events set to be promoted by other organisers were shut down in Auckland last week, while dozens of CTE experts, doctors, mental health advocates and former footy players all cautioned against the obvious dangers of the phenomenon.

Since Satterthwaite died, Trusts Arena in Auckland, which hosted the event Vatuvei appeared at, announced it would no longer stage any more run it straight events.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon was eventually dragged into the firestorm on Wednesday.

“It’s a good reminder for people to take personal responsibility, for individual responsibility, to think about the activity,” Luxon said while discussing Satterthwaite’s death on Newstalk ZB radio.

“But I’d also say to adults and sports influencers and celebrity influencers, or whatever it is driving this sort of craze, they should be thinking and reflecting very strongly right now.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had his say last week. Picture: Phil Walter/Getty Images

Ardie Savea spoke about the dangers of RUNIT as well. Picture: Dave Rowland/Getty Images

The New Zealand Rugby League issued a statement too.

“NZRL is not associated with nor encourages participation in any events or collision sports like Runit,” it said. “It’s concerning to see people in these events putting themselves at risk of serious injury, and we strongly encourage our rugby league community to only participate in games or events organised or sanctioned by NZRL, our zones and districts or our associates.”

Savea also had his say on Thursday.

“It’s hard because it’s kind of made me the rugby player I am – I used to do run it straights in the backyard with Bus (brother Julian Savea) – so you kind of see both sides,“ Savea said.⁠ “It’s really hard to say, but I’d just encourage people to be safe.”⁠

THE FUTURE

RUNIT organisers went to ground after Satterthwaite’s passing, but the organisation’s official Instagram page was still posting content.

By Friday, they had hired a PR firm to handle all media requests.

The future of the most controversial combat sport in the country is uncertain.

RUNIT is planning on staging more events, but negative publicity makes hosting competitions like the ones in Melbourne and Auckland extremely difficult.

Two planned events in Auckland have already been cancelled, and there are no more scheduled competitions on its website.

Originally published as RUNIT organisers say controversial new ‘sport’ will continue despite tragedy and widespread condemnation