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NRL Highlights: Titans v Cowboys

NRL Highlights: Titans v Cowboys

The Age12 hours ago

Gold Coast Titans host the North Queensland Cowboys in Round 17 of the 2025 NRL Premiership at Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast.

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NRL premiership winner Kevin Proctor knocked out as controversial ‘Run It Straight' craze continues
NRL premiership winner Kevin Proctor knocked out as controversial ‘Run It Straight' craze continues

7NEWS

time14 hours ago

  • 7NEWS

NRL premiership winner Kevin Proctor knocked out as controversial ‘Run It Straight' craze continues

NRL premiership winner Kevin Proctor has been knocked out in a 'Run It Straight' competition in Dubai. The controversial viral craze received heavy backlash last month when a New Zealand teenager died during an impromptu version of the game. Watch the video above: NRL premiership winner knocked out as controversial craze continues. But the Runit Championship League has continued with $200,000 in prize money on offer. The latest event took place over the weekend, with Proctor on the wrong end of his clash with influencer Jordan Simi. Medical personnel rushed to help the 36-year-old. Proctor won the 2012 grand final with the Melbourne Storm and played for the Gold Coast Titans in a lengthy NRL career, which ended when he was caught vaping at half-time of a game while sidelined. The long-time New Zealand international later joined Wakefield in the English Super League. The 'Run It Straight' trend also appeared on the hill at Brookvale Oval during a Manly Sea Eagles NRL game. Sea Eagles chief executive Tony Mestrov said anyone found to have been involved would be banned. Dr Alan Pearce, who has worked with NRL players on concussions, said he was 'speechless'. 'I'm pretty appalled by what we're seeing and I'm really concerned about the health of the people undertaking this activity,' he told Sunrise. 'There's no medical attention nearby if something happened.' Pearce said it was made worse by the apparent levels of intoxication. 'Beer and head injuries do not mix,' he said. 'This is what we're seeing now and this is something we've been concerned about surrounding the Run It events. 'Things like this will be happening everywhere now and they're not checked properly. That's the concern.' While some of those filmed participating at the NRL game appeared to be grown men, Pearce said he fears for kids and even young adults involved in the trend. 'The damage to a young brain is potentially profound and catastrophic,' he said. 'With young people, kids up to the age of 20, there's a risk of what we call 'second impact syndrome'. 'Even though you might get a hit to the head and not necessarily think that there's anything going on, having a second hit to the head in a rapid time period after — it might be a few minutes, it could be 15 minutes — could be potentially life-threatening. 'This is something we are really worried about.' Other experts have also slammed the trend. Injury prevention expert Professor Patria Hume called the trend a 'reckless and dangerous spectacle' and 'a step backwards' in sport safety. 'We've spent years building evidence-based strategies to reduce head and neck injuries in rugby and contact sports,' she said. 'This event ignores all of that.' In response to the death of New Zealand teenager Ryan Satterthwaite, Runit Championship League said the sport 'should only be held in highly controlled environments, which include professional medical supervision and support'. 'All RUNIT events follow established protocols including screening of participants for suitability, strict guidelines around where and how to tackle (between the shoulders and hips only), with qualified medical support and medical assessments conducted both during and after competition,' the competition said. 'We do not encourage any copying of the sport as it should only be done under the strict conditions outlined above in sanctioned RUNIT events.'

Former NRL star Kevin Proctor suffers sickening KO by social media influencer at RUNIT event in Dubai
Former NRL star Kevin Proctor suffers sickening KO by social media influencer at RUNIT event in Dubai

News.com.au

time19 hours ago

  • News.com.au

Former NRL star Kevin Proctor suffers sickening KO by social media influencer at RUNIT event in Dubai

Former NRL veteran and 22 Test Kiwis forward Kevin Proctor was sensationally knocked out in scary scenes by social media influencer Jordan Simi at RUNIT 02 in Dubai overnight. The pair took part in an exhibition run it straight challenge at the big-money event early on Sunday morning, Australian time. In footage posted to social media, Proctor, who is defending, drives his right shoulder into the ball-carrying Simi. But the former Melbourne Storm and Gold Coast Titans backrower comes off second best, as he spins in the air after contact and lands heavily on the ground. Proctor appears to be knocked out as he hits the floor, with his arms and legs going stiff in sickening scenes. A small crew of medics and officials rush to the 36-year-old's side as he struggles to sit back up. A former lower grade rugby league player, Simi is also an artist and has become a social media influencer. He also stepped into the boxing ring opposite Justin Hodges in 2022, losing a four-round unanimous decision. Proctor played 283 NRL games for the Storm and Titans in a 15-year footy career. He was sacked by the Titans after he posted a video to his Instagram story of himself vaping in the toilets during the halftime break of the Titans' loss to the Bulldogs in 2022. Proctor wasn't playing, but was 19th man when he captioned the video: 'Not the halftime vape'. He quickly deleted it, but was soon released by the Titans. One of the most controversial new combat sports on the planet, RUNIT staged its second event in Dubai, just a month after a New Zealand teenager died after playing a run it straight style game with friends. RUNIT and its deep-pocketed investors and sponsors flew eight athletes to Dubai, with $200,000 on offer for first place, while second took home $50,000 and third prize was $25,000.

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