The latest headlines from Wales and around the world
These are your latest rugby headlines on the evening of Sunday, June 1
All Blacks star apologises for video after tragic death
Former All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams has issued an apology after he published a video on social media that appeared to show support for a viral rugby-based game which led to the death of a teenager in New Zealand. Ryan Satterthwaite, 19, died in hospital on Monday after suffering a “serious head injury” while playing a game of ‘run it straight’ with friends in the city of Palmerston North.
The game – videos of which have recently gone viral on platforms like TikTok and Instagram – sees two players, one with a ball and the other the tackler, charge at each other at full speed with no protective gear, in order to try and knock each other down.
Official tournaments have also been held, with one such event being held in Auckland earier this month, with participants competing for a prize of around $20,000.
While the tragedy involving Satterthwaite made headlines around the world, Williams shared a clip on social media from a match he played for Canterbury in 2004, which saw him collide with Penrith star Joel Clinton.
Captioning the video ‘old school, what a hit’, the 39-year-old added: “Playing run it straight before it was called run it straight”.
The post sparked backlash amid the tragic news, with Williams taking to social media again to apologise for his comments upon learning of the teenager’s death.
“I put a video up last night, and I just want to ask for forgiveness of the young fulla that passed away,” he said. “Please excuse me for my insensitivity. I did not know that had happened.
“I want to talk about it for a second right now. I’ve been asked to collab with the Run it Straight people, or a couple of people and I haven’t, simply because I wouldn’t put my kids in it. I have safety concerns and that’s just my thoughts on it.”
However, Williams added that he believes the sport will continue to be played and called for changes to implemented to keep those involved as safe as possible.
“I’d like weight classes and rules around head contact, but also age and experience classes as well,” he continued. “It’s gonna carry on, because people love it. It’s entertainment.
“But I’d like to see some heavily controlled safety restrictions come in. Once again to the family, my love and regards go out to you guys.”
Missing player found
Rugby league player Brandon Moore has been found after going missing on Friday night, his wife has confirmed.
The 28-year-old had been named in the Batley Bulldogs squad for their Championship match against Toulouse Olympique on Saturday but had not been seen since the night before.
His wife Mara had posted an urgent appeal on Facebook to help find him, writing: “Please share. If anyone has seen Brandon Moore can you please message me?
“I usually wouldn’t ever post anything on here like this, but family and friends haven’t seen or heard of him and hoping maybe someone’s seen sightings of him and can message me? I have a 7 week old baby at home and 2 others so I can’t go hunting myself other than a car ride.'”
The post was shared over 2,700 times and the father-of-three has since been found, with Mara confirming that he is now “in safe hands”.
“Thank you to everyone that shared, we actually found him through the power of Facebook,” she wrote as she confirmed the good news. “So thank you to everyone that’s helped me!!”
Lions star sweating on fitness
Ireland flanker Josh van der Flier is a major doubt for Leinster’s URC semi-final against Glasgow after being forced off with a hamstring issue against the Scarlets.
Reports in Ireland suggest Leinster believe the injury is not serious, but the extent of it will not be known until Van der Flier undergoes a scan.
Having recently been named in Andy Farrell’s Lions squad to tour Australia, van der Flier faces a nervy wait.
The back-row was forced off in the first-half of the 33-21 win over the Scarlets. Afterwards, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen took issue with Wales full-back Blair Murray’s try on the stroke of half-time that brought the Scarlets within a point of the Irish province.
“I think we’re well on top for large parts of, particularly the first-half,” said Cullen. “It’s a big moment before half-time, isn’t it, because we are on their line. If you look at it, there are multiple Scarlets players that are offside, but we play and we don’t execute, so there’s stuff in our control.
“And then they go the length of the field, in a perfect world it gets refereed and you have a penalty there, and we’re eight points clear at that stage, we’d go into half-time 11 points up.
“Instead it’s one point and you’re like ‘Ughhhh’. But I thought the composure was good at half-time. Again, it paints a completely different complexion on the game.
“We’ve lost a knockout game where there’s a penalty in front of the posts which (Henry) Pollock is off his feet which we should have had which we could have kicked to level the game.
“There should have been a penalty try at the end of that game which means we would have won that game which meant we would be talking about how we got on in the Champions Cup final.
“We’re not at that stage, so knockout rugby, there are so many different variables, and we need to get all of our bits right and we’d hope that the referees get their bits right as well.
“But that’s what it’s like. It’s tense, there’s pressure there for both teams. And I thought we applied pressure for large periods of the game today. That’s pleasing and a credit to the players.
“That try was such a big swing. It’s a 92-metre turnaround and call it a 10-point swing in terms of the scoreboard. To come back from that, get back on top again and make sure we had a two-score lead for most of the remainder of the game was pleasing.
“It’s winning ugly sometimes, isn’t it? You’ve got to do it, so I am pleased we won ugly.”
