A teen has died after participating in a rugby-based tackling game where participants run headlong into each other, which is inspired by social media posts.
Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, died in an Australian hospital on Monday in Palmerston North, near Darwin, Northern Territory, a day after doctors said he suffered a “serious head injury” from playing the social media challenge, the New York Post reported.
The objective is to run straight at an opponent, often carrying a rugby ball, and attempt to tackle them. The winner is the one still standing after the brutal full-frontal collision.
Police Inspector Ross Grantham warned parents of this game and the deadly consequences it could cause.
“The tackle game played by the group of friends was based on a social media-driven trend, where participants compete in full-contact collisions without protective gear,” he said in a statement.
“While this was an impromptu game among friends, not a planned event, this tragic outcome does highlight the inherent safety concerns with such an activity,” the inspector continued.
“We would urge anyone thinking about taking part in a game or event like this to consider the significant safety and injury risks,” he said.
The game is often referred to as the “Run It Straight” challenge and is a test of daring and physical strength.
But the challenge is extremely dangerous, as the death of the teen in Australia shows. Some videos of the challenge have shown participants passing out after taking blows to the head, but it appears Satterthwaite is the first to be killed by playing the game. Still, many others come away from the challenge with a concussion, experts warn.
The challenge is not just an incidental phenomenon among social media users. The game has become so popular that unofficial tournaments involving hundreds of people have been popping up in Australia and New Zealand, where bruisers weighing in at more than 250 pounds are seen barreling right into one another to see who is the last man standing, News.com.au reports.
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