New Zealand coroner warns against dangerous Rugby-inspired 'Runit Championship' following player death

A New Zealand coroner has condemned a controversial rugby-style competition known as 'Runit', calling it a dangerous activity that poses severe risks to participants due to its lack of safety measures or regulation.

In the Runit Championship League, competitors sprint from 20 metres apart and collide at full speed, with the winner deemed the one who 'dominates the collision'. Participants wear no protective gear, and there are no official safety protocols or publicly available rules.

Originally based in Australia, the Runit Championship League launched in New Zealand this year, offering NZ$20,000 to regional winners and NZ$200,000 to the overall champion. Its social media-fueled rise has led to unsanctioned events in both countries, often drawing large crowds.



Coroner Bruce Hesketh, though not investigating the death of 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite, voiced serious concern over the rising popularity of Runit - particularly in light of Satterthwaite’s fatal head injury sustained during an unsanctioned event in May.

Hesketh highlighted that Runit promotes direct, high-impact collisions - the opposite of rugby union or league, where the goal is typically to avoid contact.

“The competition has all the hallmarks of perilous activity that makes no attempt to mitigate head injury,” Hesketh told AFP, stressing the lack of a governing body or concussion awareness.

According to AFP, during the league’s inaugural event in Auckland in May, two participants were knocked unconscious, and another suffered seizures following a brutal head-on collision - an incident that was met with cheers from a crowd of over 1,000 spectators.

Amid growing backlash and calls for a ban, the league moved its June 28 final from Auckland to Dubai’s Agenda Arena, flying all qualified competitors overseas.