FILE PHOTO: New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon walks at Downing Street to meet Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in London, Britain, April 22, 2025. REUTERS/Belinda Jiao/File Photo
(Reuters) -New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has joined the condemnation of the "run it straight" rugby tackle challenge that has gone viral on social media after a teenager died from a serious head injury earlier this week.
Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, died in the city of Palmerston North on Monday after taking part in the challenge that aims to emulate the collisions that occur when muscle-bound rugby players come together on the field.
"All I can say to young adults who are participating is you've got some personal responsibility in this," Luxon told local media on Friday.
"You're hearing the advice from police, from the medical fraternity, from government, from principals saying don't do it.
"To the adults that are involved in more formal organisation of it and are influencing it and leading this out on social media, I think you need to stop and I can't be any clearer.
"The evidence is that it's a dumb thing to do and you should stop."
Organised "run it straight" competitions, where competitors with no protection run at each other on a 20-metre grass strip for cash prizes, have been held in Australia and New Zealand over the last year.
The trend has attracted widespread condemnation from politicians and the New Zealand medical community, particularly those working in the field of head injuries.
New Zealand Rugby, which along with the rest of the rugby world over the last decade has been looking at ways of reducing head injuries in the game, extended its condolences to Satterthwaite's family in a statement earlier this week.
"We urge people not to take part in run it straight games or competitions as they carry significant risk of serious injury," it read.
"Those wanting to play contact sports should register for a school or club team and learn in a controlled and safe environment how to tackle safely and the art of evasion."
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
