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Blowing the alarm on racism terminated my career - Burrell
The former player: 'I hoped to carry on playing'
Warning: This piece includes details of racially offensive language and conduct
Ex-England player Luther Burrell says that going public to reveal racism in rugby union brought his professional journey to an premature conclusion.
In a June 2022, Burrell described racism as being "widespread" in the game, showing Whatsapp messages and remembering training ground "jokes" he had been exposed to while representing Newcastle.
At that time 34 and out of contract, Burrell's only professional rugby since has been three appearances with guest team the Barbarians.
"I've have definitely had to retire because of what occurred," he told media outlets.
"I really wanted to continue competing, naturally I did. I pursued that, and it collapsed when word emerged that there were inquiries going on.
"This situation was challenging - I had to simply come to terms with the fate and accept that this whole situation is a lot bigger than me."
A sports organization investigation in April 2023 found Burrell's claims were true "likely correct", but stated it could not collect sufficient proof to categorically say they occurred at Newcastle.
Luther Burrell played in all of England's Six Nations games in 2014 and 2015, but was surprisingly overlooked for their squad for the 2015 World Cup
Burrell told media he also encountered discrimination within the England set-up, during a international career that saw him win 15 appearances after his debut in 2014.
"I've had several traumatic experiences within the national team," he said.
"Some discrimination and other just outdated thinking that's really unacceptable."
Racism had become normalised in team environments, in Burrell's experience.
"This is something that has been dressed up as banter and that's been the problem that I've myself experienced and seen," said Burrell, who is of Jamaican descent.
"During a period of time you just begin to believe that it's the norm and that is acceptable and that it's not malicious, but that's incorrect."
Burrell says he was finally motivated to go public after a team-mate at Newcastle referred to 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 environment within the elite game and to the implementation of an strategy for the professional game."
"We has given significant attention on diversity and diversity in the sport and a substantial amount of work completed both before and since Luther Burrell spoke publicly and shared his experiences of racism and class discrimination," it continued.
"We are ongoing work with teams and stakeholders in the elite level to work for a culture of inclusivity but recognize this requires patience and is an ongoing process."
Every Premiership and PWR club now has face-to-face education on building inclusive cultures, with its effectiveness tracked via specific documentation and surveys.
All England athletes, including age-grade squads, are trained in being "active bystanders" to step in and protect others from damaging behaviour.
"You be so pleased of what you have accomplished," Burrell's mother Joyce said to him as part of the documentary about his experiences.
"I know it has had this effect on you and ended your playing days, but in our eyes, you have done so much. We are so proud of you and to have you as a son."
Burrell's father Geoff passed away soon after the filming of the film, and his sibling passed away recently.
Burrell, who was raised on a social housing in his hometown, continues his work to make the game more accessible.
His 12 Foundation aims to reach children in disadvantaged communities and support them thrive on and off the pitch with free sports training, mentoring and nutrition education.
"My intentions are genuine, I want to see the evolution of the game and if nobody else is willing to tell their experience then I'll persist to advocate for that cause because I'm not just pursuing this for my own benefit," he explained.
"Everyone involved have an obligation to make the sport as great as it can be and the more I speak about it perhaps the more comfortable fellow players will become about sharing their own stories as well.
"I need to grab the bull by the horns and keep carrying this flag and continue carrying this weight and do what I can to develop opportunities and make the sport more attractive and more welcoming.
"There's a lot of underprivileged children and a lot of poverty and I honestly believe that rugby has the ability to change their futures, just as it transformed things for me."
Burrell scored for the Barbarians on a return to previous team Northampton in November 2022
Brenda Garcia
A tech enthusiast and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in web development and online marketing.
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