1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: And nineteen year old has died from head injuries after 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: playing a run It Straight style game with his mates. 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: Last week. Professor Petrie Hume warned at the risk to 4 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: life letting these events continue. She is with us this morning, 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: Human performance professor at aut Portrayer. Good morning, you predicted 6 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: this last week. Sadly your predictions come true. 7 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 2: Yes, Ryan's death was preventable. It was a backyard copycat 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 2: of the run at events which have been designed for 9 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 2: social media impact. And you know, people need to understand 10 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 2: the risks when two people are running at each other 11 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 2: under this run it style. It's like the forces are jumping, 12 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 2: like jumping off your house, you know, and landing flat 13 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,959 Speaker 2: on your front. That's the level of trauma. And so 14 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 2: unfortunately Ryan has died. And I did warn about the 15 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 2: impact forces and that this could happen. 16 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: The thing is, these are young boys, right, and I've 17 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: been a young boy before, and you do dumb stuff 18 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: and sometimes you get really hurt. Do you how do 19 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: you stop behavior like that? Because obviously I weren't listening 20 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: to you. 21 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 2: No unfortunate at the moment. And it's everyone to make 22 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 2: their own decision about what activities they want to participation. 23 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 2: So if you think about skydiving that has a fatality 24 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 2: rate of one death and one hundred thousand jumps, and 25 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 2: paragliding you know one death in eleven thousand flights. Rugby 26 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 2: Union and League actually death rates are quite low, they're 27 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 2: extremely rare, but we do have high injury rates. My 28 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 2: concern is for these run it type events, we've already 29 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 2: had one death so far with only just about a 30 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,119 Speaker 2: month of promotion of the activity. It's an extremely high 31 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 2: risk activity. You're really rolling the dice with your life 32 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 2: and with your risk of injury if you participate. People 33 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 2: have said, oh, it's the fight bull rush. It is 34 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 2: not like bull rush. Bull rush you have someone who 35 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 2: wants to tag and you're trying to evade them. In 36 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 2: this case, you've got two people who are purposely running 37 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 2: at each other with very high impact. There is a 38 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 2: very high risk of injury. 39 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: There's a lot of people saying, oh, the police should 40 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: get more involved in stuff. I mean, what are they 41 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: going to do. 42 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 2: Well can actually intervene, particularly with events. So under the 43 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 2: Health and Safety at Work Adventure Activities Regulations twenty sixteen, 44 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 2: event organizers they're legally required to ensure the health and 45 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 2: safety of participants, and as the public, we have a 46 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 2: moral duty to be able to protect em. 47 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: Couldn't you then ban a rugby game. I mean, if 48 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: it's about the health and safety of participants and people 49 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: break their necks in rugby, we shouldn't be having rugby games, 50 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:34,959 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. 51 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 2: So if you think about rugby, it's got safety protocols 52 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 2: and it's got very clear governed rules to minimize harm 53 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 2: and protect athletes. You know, we've conducted over thirty years 54 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,799 Speaker 2: of research, including with World Rugby and New Zealand Rugby 55 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 2: to try and reduce the risk of injury. And if 56 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 2: you look over the years, there have been changes to 57 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 2: the game to reduce injury risks. So doctor Ken, the 58 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 2: senior scientist from the Zellen Rugby with his PhD, he 59 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 2: did studies to look at how you changed the scrum 60 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 2: and the scrum was depowered and it reduced the incidence 61 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 2: of neck injuries and severe spinal injuries. There's also been 62 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 2: changes to the height of the tackle. I remember in 63 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 2: twenty twelve I had a debate on TV Where's Wally 64 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 2: Lewis about the shoulder charges and why they should be banned. 65 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:30,119 Speaker 2: And while he was completely against them being banned. They 66 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 2: have been banned for many, many years for very good reason, 67 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 2: because they were inducing a lot of injury into rules. 68 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,839 Speaker 1: Yes, those rules have changed, and some would argue they 69 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: have made the game boring and you get sports specifically 70 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: like this popping up and UFC went nuts because it 71 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: gives people the first that they craved for body combat. 72 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 2: Yes, it's said of the sad reality of human nature. 73 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 2: I mean the mixed martial arts. The death rates has 74 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 2: been twenty deaths recorded already in sanctioned events. So yes, 75 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 2: that's human nature. It's like we have wars as well, 76 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 2: but they are not desirable human attributes. We should best, 77 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 2: don't they. I mean public to come up with ideas. 78 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 2: We need events that are going to be really intellectually stimulating, 79 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 2: develop our minds and bodies that people really want to 80 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 2: participate in, that are not going to kill people. 81 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:30,919 Speaker 1: All right, Fortria, I really appreciate you coming on the program. 82 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 1: Pature whom a Human performance professor at aut For more 83 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: from earlier edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to news 84 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 1: talks it'd be from five am weekdays, or follow the 85 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: podcast on iHeartRadio.