Teen dies after taking part in 'Run It Straight' trend health experts want banned

A teenager’s death after participating in a new dangerous trend with friends has reinvigorated calls for it to be banned.

19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite, from Palmerston North, a city in NZ's North Island, passed away on May 26 after suffering a serious head injury the day before while he emulated the trend, known as the 'run it straight' trend, with his friends.

New trends pop up all the time, but this latest one has a lot of critics due to the potential dangers.

The 'run it straight' trend has become popular in New Zealand and Australia, generating millions of views on social media.

For those who have seen it, some are likely to draw comparisons with this trend to 'slap fighting'. Not because there are similarities in how it works, but rather the increased dangers compared to traditional sports.

How does the 'run it straight' trend work?

The competition, game, sport - or whatever you want to call it - sees two individuals sprint full pelt at one another, one sometimes carrying a rugby ball.

This collision happens only over a narrow 20-metre field and neither individual wears any protective gear. The winner of the collision, be it the person with the ball or without, is deemed the winner and in a tournament settings progresses to the next round.

It isn't clear whether there are weight classes as some videos have shown vast differences in weight between competitors.

As you can imagine, this can result in many serious injuries and health experts have argued firmly against it.

19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite died after taking part in the 'run it straight' challenge (Instagram)

Death of teenager Ryan Satterthwaite

Police have confirmed that the tackle game Satterthwaite was involved in prior to his death was played with friends, and wasn’t a planned event. They also added that this is not a criminal matter, but they will be making further enquiries.

Police spokesperson Ross Grantham said in a statement, as per the BBC: "We would urge anyone thinking about taking part in a game or event like this to consider the significant safety and injury risk.

"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."

Police have said this isn't a criminal matter, but are inquiring about more details about the teenager's death (Instagram)

Following the teenager’s death, a slew of health experts have reiterated the many dangers in even simply emulating the game.

Speaking to the MailOnline, neuroscientist Dr Helen Murray said: “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, argued that the ‘sport’ was actually a step backwards and ignored the science we know about the dangers of head injuries.

Hume said: “This is a reckless and dangerous spectacle. The science is clear – repeated head impacts increase risk of long-term brain damage.”

And Australian neurologist Dr Alan Pearce made similar comments, adding: “It's insanity. You're removing the skill and strategy and replacing it with blunt force.”

The sport has been played casually in the past, but has surged in popularity online (Getty Images)

'Run it Straight' events facing backlash on social media

Even though videos of the sport have proven to be popular on social media, following the death of Satterthwaite, some have taken to condemning the sport.

On one YouTube video showcasing the sport, one person commented: “Hope this stops before more people are hurt.”

As another said: “Tragic loss of a young life today thanks to these adults trying to make this cool RIP young man.”

With a third adding: “I wonder if the idiots behind this so called sport will still continue to promote this BS.”

And another simply wrote: “New form of stupidity? Like bull fighting.”