In January, four brothers and three family friends were at a birthday party in Melbourne when they decided to launch an organised, competitive version of the rugby-inspired game they played at school.
Six months later, their sporting start-up, the RUNIT Championship League, has attracted 82 million views on social media and caught the notice of podcaster Joe Rogan and NBA great Allen Iverson, who both follow the competition’s Instagram account.
“The game itself is quite big among the Pacific Islander community,” said co-founder Virgil Taua’a. “Back in high school and at lunchtime and recess, when we didn’t have a rugby ball … all the boys were sitting around and we’d end up playing this game called ‘Run It Straight’, and that’s where the game kind of evolved from.”
Taua’a, his brothers Brendan, Brandon and Noel, and their friends Stephen and Darren Hancock and Rennie Molimau believed they could turn their childhood game into something more professional.
“From early onset, we knew where we could go. We knew the potential,” Virgil Taua’a says. “Our dashboard, our social profiles have amassed about 82 million profile views and 178, 000 followers … our first trial was on March 1 [in Melbourne], so it’s only being three months, really.
“Ninety days to take it all around the world … the viral aspect of it’s a surprise, but it’s one that we have manifested.”
The team behind RUNIT: (From left) Virgil Taua’a, Rennie Molimau, Andy Molimau (grey beanie), Noel Taua’a (green hat) and Brandon Taua’a.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
RUNIT events feature two players running at each other from opposite ends of a 10-metre strip and colliding as hard as they can in a rugby-style tackle in front of a panel of three judges. The winner is the player judged to have dominated the collision, the momentum that follows, and safe form in execution of tackle or run.
Contestants must be over 18 and are selected on their suitability and experience, and do not pay an entry cost.
RUNIT has held two events to date, one in Melbourne’s Pavilion and the other in Auckland’s Trust Arena. The next event, which will be held overseas at a venue yet to be confirmed, will offer prizemoney of $200,000 for the winner, $50,000 for second place and $25,000 for third.
From humble beginnings, the company now employs coaches, recruiters, doctors, marketing, public relations and event managers.
Abraham Tulisi competes against Chanel Mapusua during the RUNIT Championship League in Auckland last month.Credit: Getty Images
“We are a start-up company,” a RUNIT spokesperson said. “And like most start-ups we have brought in some investors who believe in the product. The initial investment is aimed at growing our brand internationally.”
Former South Sydney Rabbitohs star George Burgess and Fijian former rugby player Nemani Nadolo competed against each other in RUNIT’s first event in Melbourne and are now representatives of the company.
“I think it’s a great concept. I always loved that part of the game, the kickoff carries and the collision,” said Burgess on Channel 10’s The Project earlier this month. “I think there’s some improvements we can definitely make, with making sure the competitors are prepared and ready to go, and they’ve got the right technique.”
Despite its big-name backers and booming popularity, the Run It Straight craze has drawn criticism after 19-year-old Ryan Satterthwaite died attempting a tackle in a backyard in New Zealand. Concussion experts say brain injury can still occur without direct hits to the head, and medical treatment afterwards is too late.
“We have some real concerns around what is known as second impact syndrome where an impact of the brain can put it into vulnerable state, and then a short time after if they get another hit to the brain it will certainly result in death – and that’s what we saw in New Zealand the weekend before,” said concussion expert Alan Pearce, a professor at Melbourne’s Swinburne University.
RUNIT says their competitions are carried out under strict supervision and that all their competitors are experienced. They do not encourage anyone to copy their events.
“We were devastated to learn of the tragic death of Ryan Satterthwaite … this is a tragic reminder that any contact sport like boxing, martial arts or combat-style activities should only be held in highly controlled environments, which include professional medical supervision and support,” said a RUNIT spokesperson.
RUNIT says all its participants are screened for suitability before competing in different weight classes, and only tackles between the shoulders and hips are allowed. The company provides technique training and have qualified medical support on site during and after each round.
UTS Sports marketing expert Dr Andy West believes RUNIT needs to maintain its social media momentum if it is to become a legitimate sport.
“There is that element of danger [in Run It Straight events], and real injury there, this sort of gladiatorial side of things that people are attracted to,” said West. “They’ll have to be able to get that balance.
“[In order to] remain legitimate and keep that sort of social contagion that’s going that people are interested to watch, they’ll need to be keep that real level of excitement, but also that dangerous element to it.”
RUNIT attributes its success to the short, sharp, explosive nature of the contests, which make it perfect to share across social media such TikTok and Instagram. Their next goal is to take RUNIT to the US.
“It is new, it is exciting, it’s short form, and it is daring,” the spokesperson said. “There is a level of understanding and skill required to participate, but there’s also brute strength and bravery. We believe the RUNIT Championship League has enormous potential to be the next big sports and entertainment product.”
