Blowing the whistle on racism cut short my professional journey - Burrell

Important note: This piece includes descriptions of discriminatory comments and behaviour

FormerEngland player Luther Burrell states that speaking out to expose racism in rugby union brought his professional journey to an early conclusion.

In a June 2022, Burrell described racism as being "widespread" in the sport, displaying digital communications and remembering training ground "jokes" he had been subject to while representing Newcastle.

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

"I've have absolutely had to retire because of what occurred," he told media outlets.

"I hoped to carry on playing, of course I did. I pursued that, and it fell through when word emerged that there were inquiries underway.

"That was challenging - I had to simply come to terms with the outcome and accept that this whole process is a lot bigger than me."

A rugby governing body report in 2023 found Burrell's allegations were accurate "on the balance of probability", but stated it could not gather sufficient proof to definitively say they occurred at Newcastle.

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

"I have had multiple distressing experiences within the national team," he said.

"Some discrimination and some just old-school mentality that's really inappropriate."

Racism had become normalised in team environments, in Burrell's experience.

"This is something that has been disguised as banter and that's been the problem that I've personally experienced and witnessed," said Burrell, who is of Jamaican descent.

"Over a extended period you just begin to believe that it's the standard and that is fine and that it's not harmful, but that's nonsense."

Burrell explains he was finally motivated to go public after a team-mate at Newcastle called him as a "slave" and told him to put sunscreen on his arms and legs "where your shackles were."

The rugby authority said Burrell's revelations had led to "a deeper look at the environment within the professional level and to the introduction of an strategy for the professional game."

"The organization has given considerable focus on diversity and inclusion in the sport and a substantial amount of work completed both prior and since Luther Burrell spoke publicly and shared his encounters of racism and class discrimination," it continued.

"We are ongoing work with teams and partners in the elite level to strive for a culture of acceptance but recognize this requires patience and is an ongoing process."

All Prem and PWR club now has face-to-face training on building inclusive cultures, with its success monitored via specific documentation and surveys.

All England athletes, including age-grade squads, are educated in being "engaged observers" to intervene and protect others from harmful behaviour.

"You should be so pleased of what you have done," 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 finished your career, but in our eyes, you have achieved so much. We are so impressed of you and to have you as a family member."

Burrell's father Geoff passed away soon after the production of the film, and his sibling died recently.

Burrell, who was raised on a social housing in Huddersfield, continues his work to make the game more open.

His 12 Foundation aims to reach children in disadvantaged communities and support them succeed both on the pitch with free sports training, guidance and dietary education.

"My personal motivations are genuine, I want to see the progress of the game and if nobody else is prepared to tell their experience then I'll persist to advocate for that fight because I'm not just doing this for my own benefit," he explained.

"Everyone involved have an responsibility to make the game as excellent as it can be and the more I talk about it hopefully the more confident fellow players will feel about sharing their personal experiences as well.

"I need to take the bull by the horns and continue carrying this flag and keep supporting this weight and accomplish what I can to develop possibilities and make the sport more appealing and more inclusive.

"There are a lot of underprivileged children and a lot of economic hardship and I sincerely believe that rugby has the ability to transform their lives, just as it transformed things for me."