Ian Roberts, one of the toughest players the game has ever seen, says the dangerous social media challenge called Run It Straight is “potentially catastrophic.”
His message is urgent, following the death of a boy in New Zealand earlier this year believed to be linked to the trend.
The former Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles prop and New South Wales enforcer, who built his reputation as a fearless forward in the ‘80s and ‘90s, is now confronting the long-term cost of that toughness.
The almost 60-year-old footy legend revealed this week he has been diagnosed with epilepsy, which doctors attribute to the cumulative brain trauma he suffered over years of tackling: “In the last 12 months I’ve had a bit of an issue myself. I was just recently diagnosed … with epilepsy” he told Nine’s Today on Tuesday.
“There are consequences long-term.”
During his distinguished career, Roberts appeared in over 200 games across Australia and the UK, and was crowned one of the fiercest enforcers.
What is Run It Straight
“Run It Straight” is a phrase rooted in rugby league culture. It is used to encourage the athletes to play it tough and run directly at the opposition, instead of avoiding a collision.
Recently, it has also become a viral contest, gaining popularity online and gathering crowds at competitions particularly popular among young men. The idea is to mimic rugby tackles by sprinting straight at each other at full speed, and the goal is to collide. Players are not meant to dodge or evade harm.
The trend essentially pulls out the most dangerous part of a rugby game, and makes it a separate spectacle.
Consequences
The neurological consequences of such collisions are vast – from minor concussions to death.
Reflecting on his career and recent diagnosis, Roberts says “I reckon the damage I did to myself was not taking the shots (tackles), it was making the shots.
“In 1990 when I made that conscious effort to pull off more big hits, or to toughen my image up, I definitely wouldn’t be doing that.”
On Monday, 26 May 2025, 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite tragically died in New Zealand, after sustaining a critical head injury during an impromptu game of "Run It Straight" with friends the previous day. Despite being an informal game among friends, the incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of such activities.
Police Inspector Ross Grantham emphasised the inherent risks, stating, "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."