Families urged to act as the government eyes crackdown on 'Run It Straight' challenges

Pacific community leaders are calling on families to step in and stop young people taking part in dangerous "Run It Straight" challenges.

The calls come the government signals a tougher response to the growing social media trend.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says officials are looking at stronger measures to deal with organised events linked to the challenge.

He says this involves participants running at full speed into each other without protective gear, often while being filmed for social media.

Inspired by the contact seen in rugby league and rugby union, "Run It Straight" pits two participants against each other in a full-speed collision with many events filmed and shared online.

Mitchell's warning comes as Jack Tulemau, a Pacific sports mentor and community advocate, raises concerns about the impact the trend is having on young people especially Pasifika men.

Speaking with Tuilagi William Leolahi on Pacific Huddle, Tulemau, who has personal experience within the "Run It Straight" movement, said many participants are chasing online attention without fully understanding the risks.

"Our kids are doing this for the views, for the likes, but they don't see the fatal consequences," he said. "These aren’t controlled sports environments. They are running full-tilt at each other on hard ground.

"I have seen boys get knocked out cold, suffering severe concussions, all while their friends film it on phones. We are literally breaking our own kids for social media," Tulemau said.

Pacific sports mentor and community advocate Jack Tulemau says families must help steer young people away from dangerous "Run It Straight" challenges and into organised sport.

Medical experts have previously warned that high-speed collisions without proper safety measures can lead to serious head injuries. This includes concussion and traumatic brain injuries.

As concern grows, Mitchell has said the government is considering new legal options to help police stop organised events before someone is seriously injured or killed.

"These events have real, fatal consequences, and we are not going to tolerate public spaces being hijacked for dangerous, lawless behaviour," Mitchell told the NZ Herald.

"If you are organising these collisions or encouraging young people to risk their lives for video clips, you will face the full force of the law."

Supporters of the events argue the trend is being unfairly criticised.

In posts shared across social media, some organisers and participants say the challenges provide a competitive outlet for young men.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says the government is considering stronger measures to deal with organised "Run It Straight" events, warning of the potentially fatal consequences of the trend. Photo/RNZ/Samuel Rillstone

They say the events encourage physical activity and camaraderie while keeping participants away from drugs and crime.

They also argue that the collisions are comparable to the heavy contact seen in rugby league and rugby union, and that individuals are choosing to take part knowing the risks involved.

But critics maintain that unlike organised sport, the challenges take place without coaches, referees, medical staff or concussion protocols, increasing the risk of serious injury.

Tulemau says the answer goes beyond enforcement.

He said Pacific communities must work together to direct young people's energy and physical talent into safer pathways including organised sport.

"We have to protect our built-in strength and channel it the right way, through our rugby league clubs, our rugby unions, and sanctioned boxing gyms where there are doctors, head-injury protocols and coaches," he said.

Listen to Jack Tulemau's full interview below.

He also urged parents to take a closer look at what their children are watching and sharing online.

"To our parents: check what your boys are filming. Don't let a 20-second video clip take away their future, their health or their life."

Tulemau says the concern is not only the immediate risk of injury but the possibility that a split-second decision could have lifelong consequences for a young person's health, education and sporting future.