Death a ‘distinct possibility’ in collision running and face-slapping contests, neurologist tells Australian inquiry

A parliamentary inquiry in New South Wales, Australia, has heard that the impacts in collision running competitions such as Run Nation, in which two players run at each other and collide at high speed, and in Power Slap, where players take turns slapping each other across the face, are akin to a coward punch, with death a ‘distinct possibility’.

The New South Wales inquiry is examining whether the emerging competitions should be considered combat sports in order to better regulate the safety of participants.

Neurologist Dr Rowena Mobbs, an expert in concussion and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), told the inquiry she did not think there was any form of modification that would make the sports safer. ‘Collision running and Power Slap are worse than eye-gouging and should be deemed a king-hit, for death is a distinct possibility,’ she said.

A 19-year-old died in New Zealand last year after suffering a critical head injury playing a tackling game believed to have been inspired by the viral ‘run it straight’ challenge. Run Nation’s organisers have claimed their competition is a safer version, turning rugby league ‘hit-ups’ into a sport.

The inquiry was established in August. In September, a NSW Supreme Court judge ruled Run Nation was a combat sport, upholding a cancellation notice for a Sydney event that month from the Combat Sports Authority (CSA) of NSW.

The event has been rescheduled for 28 November after the authority’s medical advisory board approved its permit. Power Slap has yet to host an official event in Australia.

The chair of the CSA, Darren Kane, told the inquiry on Friday he would prefer to see new combat sports regulated, with mandated ambulance and medical support staff. ‘If it was a regulated event, there’d be all these systems in place, and the people would have accreditations, they would have done concussion training, there would be doctors mandated at the events,’ he said. ‘Whereas you have these unregulated things, it’s pot luck.’

Run Nation’s organisers have said their events include on-field doctors and paramedics. The inquiry did not hear from organisers of either competition, but received submissions from medical experts, bareknuckle boxing and grassroots combat sports groups.

Petero Taremwa, founder of the Get That Guap (GTG) fight club, which hosts mixed martial arts, kickboxing and boxing fights without a promoter’s licence, said the cost of participation was a ‘serious barrier’ to fighters, while organisers faced significant costs from permits, insurance, venues and medical services. He said there had been no significant injuries at GTG events.

Mobbs said brain diseases in participants in football codes and traditional combat sports resulted from subclinical concussions or silent events when they add up over time. But she said the stronger impacts in collision running and face-slapping competitions meant a lower number of impacts could trigger off a neurodegenerative disease later in life. She said she did not recall treating any patients with injuries from collision running or Power Slap.

Mobbs likened the potential impact to that of a coward punch or ‘king-hit’, because participants could not defend themselves and strikes came ‘right in the key area where you have most impact’. The inquiry is expected to report back in December.