19-year-old dies after taking part in viral trend that is all over TikTok right now

Politicians and health experts have called for the “run it straight” trend to be banned once and for all after 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite died just 24 hours after participating in it. Ryan passed away on May 26 in Palmerston North, New Zealand, after sustaining injuries to his head from playing the sport that first began as a casual playground-style game in Australia and New Zealand.

“We would urge anyone thinking about taking part in a game or event like this to consider the significant safety and injury risks,” police spokesperson Ross Grantham said in a statement on Tuesday. “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.”

Tragedy in New Zealand 🇳🇿: 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite dies after a brutal head clash in a viral no-gear tackle game 😢 Social media dares are turning deadly—who’s accountable?#NewZealand #ViralChallenge #TeenDeath #SocialMedia #Tragedy pic.twitter.com/vcL4cfeVUG

— Qadir Khan Yousufzai 🕊️ 🇵🇰 (@qadiryusfzai) May 28, 2025

The game’s premise is relatively simple: Two people, one carrying a rugby ball, charge at each other at full force in an attempt to knock the other one over. Though somewhat new here in the UK and US, “run it straight” has long been a backyard game in Australia and New Zealand, with one event’s prize money totalling $13,000.

“It’s a Kiwi national backyard sport. The boys are currently playing as we speak,” Kimami Ngaluafe, an organiser of a “run it straight” event, told the BBC. “In New Zealand, kids are playing this kind of game every day. They deserve to be guided properly and shown how to do it the right way.”

Videos of “run it straight” events have accumulated millions of views on TikTok and Instagram, with some even showing participants collapsing afterwards. Naturally, health experts have urged people to consider the risks before partaking in the obviously dangerous activity.

@ruthy.mat

OUCH 😵‍💫 #runitstraight @CHARIZMA

♬ original sound – 𝔯.𝔪

Experts have since condemned the ‘run it straight’ trend

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Even if you failed biology in school, most people understand that slamming your head against a hard surface is bound to create some issues. There is protective gear you can wear while playing the so-called sport, but only 35 per cent of people wear a helmet while cycling so it’s not surprising people are getting hurt.

“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,” neuroscientist Dr Helen Murray told the MailOnline.

@rugbyvault

Stole the ball from him😣 #fyp #rugbyvault #rugbytackle #bighit #runstraight

♬ WHO WHAT – ￶

Professor Patria Hume, an expert in sports science and injury prevention, added: “This is a reckless and dangerous spectacle. The science is clear – repeated head impacts increase risk of long-term brain damage.”

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Featured image credit: Rugbyvault/TikTok