Concussions and Protecting Our Players

[waiopehu oldboy]

Update on Big Red Dog ~3mo on from his concussion-forced retirement:

Tom Robinson: From concussion anxiety to retirement 'peace'

The former Blues fan favourite has embarked on a new journey, after dealing with head injury concerns for most of his rugby career.

www.1news.co.nz

Text is a transcript of the vid if that's geo-blocked.

Good to see him in reasonably good spirits given the circumstances & hopefully he's quit early enough to avoid anything catastrophic.

 

[Dan54]

Yeah good on big Red, he said in an interview I saw, he hasn't really had many knocks, but just was concerned with all he read about the risks etc.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Sebastien Chabal reveals he cannot remember a ‘single second’ of his career​

Former French star has 'no memories' of rugby career

Sebastien Chabal played in the 2007 RWC quarter-final win over the All Blacks.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[PhilClinton]

Wasn't sure where to post this but thought here makes sense.

Anyone seen this new Runnit Straight competition that has been gaining momentum on social media? I see at their biggest event to date they had Nemani Nadalo vs George Burgess (former NRL player).

Surely this is just a shortcut to CTE, it's like playing a game of rugby but without the rugby just two blokes running head on at each other.

 

[Braveheart81]

Getting a lot of these sort of vibes from this.

 

[LeCheese]

Wasn't sure where to post this but thought here makes sense.

Anyone seen this new Runnit Straight competition that has been gaining momentum on social media? I see at their biggest event to date they had Nemani Nadalo vs George Burgess (former NRL player).

Surely this is just a shortcut to CTE, it's like playing a game of rugby but without the rugby just two blokes running head on at each other.

There'll be an injury followed by a lawsuit soon enough that wraps it all up

 

[PhilClinton]

I just don't get it. In a world where everyone is being asked to monitor head knocks more closely, organisation is promoting this.

Even the big hit merchants at the NRL are looking at rule changes to stop players running off the back fence into collisions i.e exactly what is happening here.

 

[Braveheart81]

Wasn't sure where to post this but thought here makes sense.

Anyone seen this new Runnit Straight competition that has been gaining momentum on social media? I see at their biggest event to date they had Nemani Nadalo vs George Burgess (former NRL player).

Surely this is just a shortcut to CTE, it's like playing a game of rugby but without the rugby just two blokes running head on at each other.

Just saw this on Facebook from an event in Melbourne last week.

435K views · 825 reactions | Some big hits at last night's Runit event in Melbourne last night #RunIt | Fortay At Large

Some big hits at last night's Runit event in Melbourne last night #RunIt.

www.facebook.com

This is up there with the slap competition in terms of stupidity. Dudes knocking each other out "for fun".

 

[PhilClinton]

This is up there with the slap competition in terms of stupidity. Dudes knocking each other out "for fun".

At least the UFC guys and other pro athletes openly laugh at how stupid the slap competition is when they're forced to interview about it.

The problem I have with this Runit program is they've managed to already suck Nems and Burgess into competing which gives it some level of legitimacy and will draw more eyeballs.

That video you posted is pretty eye opening and anyone who watches it and recognises one of their teammates or players competing needs to get them outta there ASAP. Just noticed they have some sponsors as well. Not sure why any brand wants to associate themselves with CTE.

 

[Tex]

I took myself down to Altona West to watch one of their preliminary events. Nobody was knocked out during the ~30mins that I watched, but the premise is unequivocally to belt men with shots that have been illegal in rugby for years. A very strange experience tbh. Latin food truck, on-site barbers doing free fades, some LA lowrider custom cars parked on the oval, a DJ and a hodgepodge of AFL and NRL players loitering about.

Geoff Parkes covered the bigger event for The Roar: https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/05/...tes-risk-their-futures-for-a-20k-wad-of-cash/

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I only worry about kids watching this then doing it down at the park and hurting themselves badly. If adults want to do this sort of stuff It's natural selection territory.

Google the UDKC and you realise no matter what there will be blokes out there doing dumb shit.

 

[PhilClinton]

The fact that big Nelson from the Melbourne Storm was associated with it and then decided to disengage with the brand for safety concerns just shows how fucking dumb the whole situation is.

Aside from losing traction on social media though I guess there isn't anything that can be done to stop it as they've clearly got no association with rugby or rugby league organisers.

 

[LeCheese]

Just saw this on Facebook from an event in Melbourne last week.

435K views · 825 reactions | Some big hits at last night's Runit event in Melbourne last night #RunIt | Fortay At Large

Some big hits at last night's Runit event in Melbourne last night #RunIt.

www.facebook.com

This is up there with the slap competition in terms of stupidity. Dudes knocking each other out "for fun".

Fuck me, is that bare concrete either side of the thin strip of astroturf? Not surprising that the first clip appears it could be cropped to not show how old mate's head lands...

 

[PhilClinton]

Fuck me, is that bare concrete either side of the thing strip of astroturf? Not surprising that the first clip appears it could be cropped to not show how old mate's head lands...

In the Roar article it mentions how one of the competitors copped the double barrelled knockout.

KO'd on impact and then head hits the concrete with the whiplash. Nice one.

 

[LeCheese]

In the Roar article it mentions how one of the competitors copped the double barrelled knockout.

KO'd on impact and then head hits the concrete with the whiplash. Nice one.

Worst part is that when this is inevitably voluntarily or forced to shut down, we'll no doubt have to endure the cries of 'government control' from the (vast number of) lowest common denominators involved. No surprises that some of the dumbest, most insufferable fluffybunnys I've ever been exposed to are engaging with it...

 

[Alex Sharpe]

I took myself down to Altona West to watch one of their preliminary events. Nobody was knocked out during the ~30mins that I watched, but the premise is unequivocally to belt men with shots that have been illegal in rugby for years. A very strange experience tbh. Latin food truck, on-site barbers doing free fades, some LA lowrider custom cars parked on the oval, a DJ and a hodgepodge of AFL and NRL players loitering about.

Geoff Parkes covered the bigger event for The Roar: https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/05/...tes-risk-their-futures-for-a-20k-wad-of-cash/

Surely the AFL boys would have only been there for the free fade

 

[PhilClinton]

Worst part is that when this is inevitably voluntarily or forced to shut down, we'll no doubt have to endure the cries of 'government control' from the (vast number of) lowest common denominators involved. No surprises that some of the dumbest, most insufferable fluffybunnys I've ever been exposed to are engaging with it...

Yeh, the more I read about this the more I think it's just a really quick cash grab and this event won't exist in 6 months time, or at least not under the Runit brand.

The organisers aren't running this event for free and if they're giving away $20k, they've bound to be making or planning to be making shit tonnes more than through advertising, sponsorship and social media traction.

The comment in the Roar article about them wanting to go global is probably correct - they've harnessed enough eyeballs to make a quick push into the NZ or USA market, run a couple more events and when the CTE heat becomes too much it all gets dissolved.

 

[LeCheese]

Yeh, the more I read about this the more I think it's just a really quick cash grab and this event won't exist in 6 months time, or at least not under the Runit brand.

The organisers aren't running this event for free and if they're giving away $20k, they've bound to be making or planning to be making shit tonnes more than through advertising, sponsorship and social media traction.

The comment in the Roar article about them wanting to go global is probably correct - they've harnessed enough eyeballs to make a quick push into the NZ or USA market, run a couple more events and when the CTE heat becomes too much it all gets dissolved.

They're already asking for signups for an NZ event, and I suspect you're right about the US not being too far behind - although, the more litigious nature of their legal system should probably make them think twice about that.