TikTok’s Deadly ‘Collision Challenge’ Claims Life of New Zealand Teen

A 19-year-old New Zealander was killed after imitating a new collision challenge that has gained increasing popularity on social media, in which participants run toward each other and collide without any protective gear. Police confirmed that Ryan Satterthwaite was injured in the head on Sunday while playing the game in a yard with friends in Palmerston North on the North Island. He succumbed to his injuries on Monday.

The RUNIT game is loosely based on contact elements from rugby and American football and involves two competitors, a runner and a collider, who charge at each other within a 20-meter by 4-meter area, known as the “battlefield.” Organizers present the game as “the newest and most brutal collision sport in the world.” Its popularity has grown through Australia’s RUNIT Championship League, which offers cash prizes to participants.

Two events held in Auckland in recent weeks involved eight competitors vying for prizes totaling 20,000 New Zealand dollars (about 12,000 USD) in front of a crowd of over 1,000 spectators. Winners were set to advance to a grand final next month, with prizes potentially reaching 250,000 New Zealand dollars (about 150,000 USD).

Two additional events planned in the city were canceled after organizers failed to obtain the necessary permits. The RUNIT Championship League issued a statement to New Zealand news site Stuff on Tuesday, saying it “does not encourage imitations of the game, as it must only take place under strictly controlled conditions. This is tragic news, and our hearts are with Ryan’s family and friends. All contact sports, such as boxing, martial arts, or combat-style activities, must be conducted in a professional environment with medical supervision and full support.”

Local police commander Ross Grantham described Satterthwaite’s death as a “tremendous tragedy” and warned others of the “significant safety risks and injuries” associated with the game, known as RUNIT or RUNIT Straight (“Collision Challenge”). “A young man lost his life as a result of what I understand to be social media hysteria,” Grantham said.

“Although this is not a criminal case, the police will continue to investigate the incident.” He added, “The collision game played by the group of friends is based on a social media trend in which participants engage in high-impact physical collisions, without protective gear. Although this was a spontaneous game among friends, not a planned event, this tragic outcome illustrates the safety dangers inherent in such activities.”