He said it involved participants competing in full-contact collisions without protective gear.
“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.
“We would urge anyone thinking about taking part in a game or event like this to consider the significant safety and injury risks.”
Grantham said while it was not a criminal matter, police would continue to undertake inquiries on behalf of the Coroner.
‘Run it straight’ has been touted as the world’s fiercest new combat sport and attempts to mirror the most physical collisions seen in rugby league, union and AFL matches weekly.
It involves a runner and a tackler running full speed at each other on a 20m x 4m “battlefield” designed for “maximum action and non-stop intensity”.
“Victory belongs to the one who dominates the collision.”
It has exploded on social media, gaining a mass following over the last month.
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The death comes after two ‘run it straight’ events were hosted at West Auckland’s Trusts Arena last week by Australian-based Runit Championship League – with a $20,000 cash prize being rewarded to the winners.
Of the eight competitors on Wednesday, three were forced to retire with injuries – two of whom showed signs of a concussion. That was after one of the first competitors on Monday night’s trial was knocked unconscious.
While the new sport has amassed a significant following on social media, leading neuroscientists have consistently condemned the concept since its inception.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) expert Dr Helen Murray told the Herald there is clearly “a high risk of head injury in this event”.
“From a CTE standpoint, we know that exposure to repeated head acceleration events is the biggest risk factor for CTE pathology, and therefore finding ways to reduce these impacts in contact sports is a priority for player safety,” Murray said.
“It appears there is no attempt to mitigate head acceleration events in this activity and the risk of significant injury is high given the intent to collide, so I do not support it.”
Professor Patria Hume, sports scientist and injury prevention expert at Auckland University of Technology, called the sport “a step backwards” in athlete safety.
Hume called it a “reckless and dangerous spectacle” that contradicts decades of scientific evidence on head injury risks in contact sport.
“We’ve spent years building evidence-based strategies to reduce head and neck injuries in rugby and contact sports. This event ignores all of that.”
The Herald has approached Runit Championship League for comment on the incident.
More to come.
Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers sport and breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.