A 19-year-old man in New Zealand died on Monday after imitating a game trending on social media in which competitors run at each other and collide without without wearing any protective gear, reported the Associated Press.

Ryan Satterthwaite and his friends were playing the tackling game ‘RUNIT’’ or RUNIT Straight’ in the North Island city of Palmerston North on Sunday, when he suffered a head injury, and passed away later as a result of the game.

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Area police commander Inspector Ross Grantham told AP that Satterthwaite’s death was “a huge tragedy” and urged others to “consider the significant safety and injury risks” of the game.

“A young man lost his life as a result of participating in what I understand to be a social media frenzy. While this is not a criminal matter, police will continue to undertake inquiries on behalf of the coroner,” Grantham said.

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“While this was an impromptu game among friends, not a planned event, this tragic outcome does highlight the inherent safety concerns with such an activity,” he added.

What is RUNIT?

RUNIT is based loosely on contact sports such as rugby or the NFL and involves two competitors, a runner and a tackler, running at each other and colliding on a 20 meter by four meter area known as a battlefield.

Organizers have promoted the game as “the world’s fiercest new collision sport.” The game gained popularity on social media through the Australian RUNIT Championship League which offers cash prizes to competitors.

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The RUNIT Championship League on Tuesday released a statement, saying it “does not encourage any copying of the sport as it should only be done under the strict conditions.”

“This is tragic news and our hearts go out to the family and friends of Ryan. 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,” they said, as quoted by AP.

The game has been strongly condemned by experts who state that competitors run a high risk of a serious brain injury.

In Auckland, two trial events of the game saw 8 men compete for $20,000 in front of a 1,000 people. Winners were expected to go to a championship event next month where the prize money was of $250,000. 

Two events in Auckland were cancelled after organisers failed to get permits for the game.