Blowing the alarm on racism cut short my career - Luther Burrell

Warning: This article contains details of discriminatory language and behaviour

Ex-England centre Luther Burrell states that going public to reveal racism in professional rugby brought his career to an premature conclusion.

In a 2022 interview, Burrell described racism as being "rife" in the sport, showing Whatsapp messages and remembering training ground "jokes" he had been subject to while playing for Newcastle.

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

"I have absolutely had to retire because of what happened," he explained to media outlets.

"I really wanted to continue competing, naturally I did. I pursued that, and it collapsed when news came out that there were inquiries going on.

"That was difficult - I had to just accept the fate and accept that this whole process is a lot bigger than me."

A rugby governing body investigation in 2023 found Burrell's claims were true "likely correct", but said it could not collect sufficient evidence to definitively say they happened at Newcastle.

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

"I've had several traumatic experiences within the national team," he said.

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

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

"It's something that has been disguised as humour and that's been the problem that I've personally experienced and seen," 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 harmful, but that's incorrect."

Burrell says he was finally motivated to speak out after a fellow player at Newcastle called him as a "slave" and told him to put sunscreen on his wrists and ankles "where your shackles were."

The rugby authority said Burrell's disclosures had led to "increased scrutiny at the culture within the professional level and to the introduction of an strategy for the professional game."

"We has placed considerable focus on diversity and diversity in the sport and a substantial amount of work undertaken both prior and after Luther Burrell came forward and revealed his encounters of racism and class discrimination," it continued.

"We are continuing work with teams and stakeholders in the elite level to strive for a culture of acceptance but acknowledge this requires patience and is an continuous effort."

Every Premiership and women's rugby club now has face-to-face training on creating welcoming environments, with its effectiveness tracked via individual reports and surveys.

All England players, including youth squads, are trained in being "engaged observers" to step in and protect others from harmful conduct.

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

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

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

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

His charitable organization aims to connect with young people in under-served communities and help them succeed both on the field with complimentary sports training, guidance and nutrition education.

"My intentions are pure, I want to see the progress of the game and if nobody else is willing to share their story then I'll persist to advocate for that cause because I'm not just pursuing this for my own benefit," he explained.

"We have an responsibility to make the game as excellent as it can be and the more I talk about it perhaps the more comfortable others will feel about sharing their personal stories as well.

"I need to take the challenge by the opportunity and continue bearing this banner and keep supporting this weight and do what I can to develop possibilities and make the game more appealing and more inclusive.

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