Blowing the whistle on racial discrimination terminated my professional journey - Burrell

Warning: This article includes descriptions of discriminatory comments and behaviour

FormerEngland player Luther Burrell states that speaking out to expose racism in professional rugby led his professional journey to an premature end.

In a June 2022, Burrell described racism as being "rife" in the game, showing digital communications and recalling training ground "comments" he had been exposed to while representing Newcastle.

At that time 34 and without a team, Burrell's only professional rugby since has been a handful of games with invitational side the Barbarians.

"I have definitely had to end my career because of what happened," he explained to reporters.

"I wanted to continue playing, naturally I did. I sought that, and it fell through when word came out that there were investigations underway.

"That was challenging - I had to simply accept the outcome and understand that this entire process is a lot bigger than me."

A rugby governing body report in 2023 found Burrell's claims were true "likely correct", but said it could not collect enough evidence to categorically say they occurred at Newcastle.

Burrell told journalists he also encountered discrimination within the England team environment, during a international career that saw him earn 15 appearances after his debut in 2014.

"I have had multiple traumatic experiences within England camp," he said.

"Certain instances of discrimination and other just old-school mentality that's really unacceptable."

Racism had become accepted in dressing rooms, in Burrell's view.

"It's something that has been disguised as banter and that's been the issue that I've personally suffered and witnessed," said Burrell, who is of Jamaican heritage.

"Over a extended period you just begin to think that it's the standard and that is acceptable and that it's not malicious, but that's nonsense."

Burrell explains he was eventually spurred to go public after a team-mate at Newcastle called him as a "enslaved person" and instructed him to put sun cream on his arms and legs "where your shackles were."

The governing body said Burrell's disclosures had led to "a deeper look at the culture within the professional level and to the implementation of an strategy for the elite level."

"We has placed significant attention on inclusion and inclusion in rugby union and a great deal of work completed both prior and after Luther Burrell spoke publicly and revealed his experiences of racism and classism," it added.

"The organization are ongoing work with clubs and partners in the professional game to work for a culture of acceptance but recognize this requires patience and is an ongoing process."

All Premiership and women's rugby club now has in-person education on creating inclusive cultures, with its success tracked via specific documentation and surveys.

All England athletes, including age-grade squads, are educated in being "engaged observers" to step in and defend others from damaging conduct.

"You be so proud of what you have accomplished," Burrell's mother Joyce told him as part of the film Luther Burrell - Rugby, Racism and Redemption.

"I know it has had this effect on you and ended your career, but in our view, you have achieved so much. We are so impressed of you and to have you as a son."

Burrell's dad Geoff passed away shortly after the filming of the film, and his sister passed away recently.

Burrell, who grew up on a council estate in Huddersfield, maintains his work to make the game more open.

His charitable organization works to reach children in under-served communities and help them thrive both on the field with complimentary sports training, mentoring and dietary education.

"My motivations are pure, I want to see the evolution of the game and if nobody else is prepared to share their experience then I'll persist to fight that cause because I'm not just pursuing this for myself," he said.

"We have an responsibility to make the sport as excellent as it can be and the more I speak about it hopefully the more comfortable others will become about sharing their own experiences as well.

"I grab the challenge by the opportunity and keep bearing this banner and keep supporting this weight and accomplish what I can to develop possibilities and make the game more appealing and more welcoming.

"There's a lot of disadvantaged young people and a lot of poverty and I honestly think that the sport has the ability to transform their lives, just as it transformed things for me."