Two men were knocked out during last night’s ‘Run It Straight’ event held in Auckland, in which two competitors collide at full speed.
Warning: This article includes footage of an apparent injury event.
While one of the men was able to be helped away on his feet after contact, another slumped to the ground and appeared to have a seizure.
The Run It Straight competition at Auckland’s Trust Arena on Wednesday night drew more than 1000 people.
Eight men put their bodies and brains on the line for $20,000 prize money last night, two of them required medical attention after being knocked out.
The winners from this week’s trials will progress to a final competition held next month, where the champion is set to receive a prize of $250,000.
The sport has a number of high profile endorsements, including Kiwi league legend Manu Vatuvei.
“This is one of the contact sports that I love, you know, it’s a one-on-one … it just reminds me of training, we used to run at each other and try smash each other, just to get the feel of the contact,” he told RNZ.
Others RNZ spoke to at the event said they liked the energy of the collision — “the big oomph”, one said.
Another spectator said they enjoyed the vibes of the sport and the event.
“Just the big hits eh, all the hype it brings, the crowd, everything, the atmosphere, they said.
One fan told RNZ she was glad the sport was expanding.
“I’m glad that this one went through, and now the world can see what type of sport this is, and you know the people who are attracted to it.
“It’s a good thing for our brothers, but they need to do a woman’s one, I’m gonna run it straight,” she said.
Meanwhile, the sport has been under fire for its risk of head injuries.
Wednesday night’s event saw knock outs — including one athlete appearing to have a seizure as he hit the ground.
The Run It championship league attempted to mirror the physical collisions seen during rugby league or union games, but has some concerned. (Source: 1News)
When RNZ approached some fans about the criticisms of the sport, some still backed it.
“Mind your own business eh, like you know, just let the people be, let them be,” one person said.
Another commented “the people wanna do it, like, why stop them?”.
Vatuvei said he backed the sport despite the controversy.
“I’m just happy that it’s here in New Zealand, I know a lot of people hate it and a lot of people love it, I’m one of those people that love it,” he said.
When asked whether he would be tempted to try the sport himself, he said “I do, I do, honestly I do, but it’s one of those things that my mind is telling me one thing but my body is telling me another”.
An event planned for Williams Park in Māngere on Wednesday did not go ahead and another planned for Marist Saints on Thursday was also scrapped.
The council said the organisers did not seek a permit or try to book council sites, but if they had followed the correct process, it was highly unlikely the event would have met its guidelines for approval.
Earlier, RNZ spoke to a brain injury support group who said they were “appalled” that the Run It Straight events were being staged across Auckland.
Chief executive of the Headway charity Stacey Mowbray said the activity was undoubtedly causing brain injury.
She said the format and promotion of the events appeared to exploit financially vulnerable people by offering large cash prizes.
