Blowing the alarm on racism ended my professional journey - Luther Burrell

Warning: This article contains descriptions of racially offensive language and behaviour

FormerEngland player Luther Burrell states that speaking out to expose racial discrimination in professional rugby led his professional journey to an early conclusion.

In a 2022 interview, Burrell described racism as being "rife" in the game, displaying Whatsapp messages and recalling training ground "comments" he had been subject to while playing for Newcastle.

At that time 34 and out of contract, Burrell's only professional rugby since has been a handful of games with guest team the Barbarians.

"I've have absolutely had to end my career because of what happened," he told reporters.

"I really hoped to carry on playing, of course I did. I pursued that, and it fell through when news emerged that there were investigations going on.

"That was difficult - I had to just accept the fate and understand that this entire process is a lot more important than me."

A sports organization investigation in 2023 found Burrell's allegations were accurate "likely correct", but stated it could not collect sufficient evidence to definitively say they occurred at Newcastle.

Burrell revealed to journalists he also faced discrimination within the England set-up, during a Test career that saw him win 15 appearances after his debut in February 2014.

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

"Some discrimination and other just outdated thinking that's really unacceptable."

Racism had become normalised in dressing rooms, in Burrell's experience.

"It's something that has been dressed up as humour and that's been the issue that I've myself experienced and witnessed," said Burrell, who is of Jamaican descent.

"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 says he was finally spurred to go public after a fellow player at Newcastle called him as a "enslaved person" and instructed him to put sunscreen on his arms and legs "where your shackles were."

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

"The organization has given significant focus on diversity and diversity in the sport and a substantial amount of work completed both before and after Luther Burrell spoke publicly and revealed his encounters of racism and class discrimination," it added.

"We are continuing work with teams and stakeholders in the professional game to work for a environment of acceptance but acknowledge this requires patience and is an continuous effort."

Every Premiership and PWR club now has in-person education on building welcoming cultures, with its effectiveness tracked via specific documentation and feedback.

All England players, including youth squads, are educated in being "engaged observers" to intervene and defend others from harmful behaviour.

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

"I know it has had this effect on you and ended your career, but in our eyes, you have done so well. We are so proud of you and to have you as a family member."

Burrell's dad Geoff died shortly after the filming of the documentary, and his sibling passed away recently.

Burrell, who was raised on a council estate in Huddersfield, maintains his work to make the sport more accessible.

His 12 Foundation works to connect with young people in disadvantaged communities and help them succeed both on the field with complimentary sports training, mentoring and nutrition education.

"My personal intentions are genuine, 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 doing this for my own benefit," he said.

"We have an obligation to make the sport as excellent as it can be and the more I talk about it hopefully the more confident others will feel about sharing their own stories as well.

"I need to grab the bull by the opportunity and continue bearing this flag and keep supporting this responsibility and do what I can to create possibilities and make the game more attractive and more welcoming.

"There's a lot of disadvantaged children and a lot of economic hardship and I honestly think that the sport has the potential to transform their lives, just as it did for me."