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A 19-year-old New Zealander died of a “serious head injury” that was suffered in a social media-inspired Tackle game with friends, the police said.
The young man, who was identified as Ryan Satterthwaite in the local media, died in the hospital on Monday after “Run It Straight” game in the city of Palmerston North.
The game should recreate collisions that can be seen in rugby, and has two players – one with one ball, the other of the tackler – at full speed to put each other without protective equipment.
“We would urgently ask everyone to take part in a game or such an event to take into account the considerable security and injury risks,” said police spokesman Ross Grantham in a statement on Tuesday.
“Although this was a spontaneous game among friends, not a planned event, this tragic result underlines the inherent security concerns with such an activity.”
He added that it was not a police matter, but the officials would “continue to carry out inquiries on behalf of the forensic doctor”.
“Run IT Straight” has long been played in Australia and New Zealand, but was recently started as a trend online and was supported by some professional rugby players, although critics could give warnings for the players a head trauma and brain injuries.
On social media, “Run IT Straight” reviews show young men and students who are talking to each other while their friends look on. In some videos, the participants are found after the goal.
With the increasing popularity of the game, some have started to organize their own tournaments – although unclear how they are regulated.
Such a tournament, the Runit Championship League, made her debut this month in Auckland after taking place in Australia for the first time in March.
On his website, the organizers described the game as “the most violent, new collision sport”.
The league moved more than 1,000 people to the Auckland Trusts Arena when men went for a price of around $ 13,000 (9,500 GBP).
Some participants were injured during their games and a video showed that a man had a seizure after collapsing with his rival.
However, the organizers of Runit Championship League have promised to return to the next month with an even larger price.
Kimami Ngaluafe, the organizer of Up the Guts NZ, another “Run It Straight” event in New Zealand, says that the game has been popular in the country for a long time and attracts five years old boys to men in the forties.
“It is a Kiwi National Backyard Sport. The boys are currently playing while we are talking,” he told the BBC.
But Satterthwaite’s death reminds of how important security is, says Ngaluafe. He adds that the players should wear a protective headgear – which many currently do not – and spotters nearby to prevent their heads from beating on the floor.
“In New Zealand, children play this kind of game every day. They deserve to be led correctly and show how it does,” he says.