Blowing the alarm on racial discrimination terminated my career - Burrell

Important note: This article contains details of discriminatory comments and conduct

Ex-England player Luther Burrell says that going public to expose racism in professional rugby brought his professional journey to an early conclusion.

In a June 2022, Burrell described racism as being "rife" in the sport, displaying Whatsapp messages and remembering training ground "jokes" he had been exposed 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 invitational side the Barbarians.

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

"I really wanted to continue competing, of course I did. I sought that, and it fell through when news came out that there were inquiries underway.

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

A sports organization investigation in 2023 found Burrell's allegations were accurate "on the balance of probability", but said it could not gather enough evidence to categorically say they occurred at Newcastle.

Burrell revealed to media he also encountered discrimination within the England set-up, during a Test career that saw him earn 15 caps after his first game in February 2014.

"I've had several distressing experiences within England camp," he stated.

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

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

"This is something that has been dressed up as humour and that's been the issue that I've personally suffered and witnessed," said Burrell, who is of Jamaican heritage.

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

Burrell says he was eventually spurred to go public after a fellow player at Newcastle called him as a "enslaved person" and instructed him to put sun cream on his wrists and ankles "where chains would be placed."

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

"We has placed significant focus on diversity and inclusion in the sport and a great deal of work completed both before and after Luther Burrell came forward and shared his experiences of racism and class discrimination," it added.

"We are ongoing work with teams and stakeholders in the professional game to strive for a culture of inclusivity but acknowledge this requires patience and is an continuous effort."

All Prem and PWR club now has face-to-face training on creating welcoming environments, with its effectiveness tracked via individual reports and surveys.

All England players, including age-grade squads, are trained in being "active bystanders" to step in and defend others from harmful conduct.

"You be so pleased 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 impact on you and finished your career, but in our view, you have done so much. We are so proud of you and to have you as a family member."

Burrell's father Geoff passed away soon after the filming of the film, and his sister passed away earlier this year.

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

His charitable organization aims to connect with children in under-served communities and support them succeed both on the field with complimentary sports coaching, mentoring and nutrition education.

"My motivations are pure, I want to see the progress of the sport and if others is willing to share their story then I'll persist to advocate for that fight because I'm not just doing this for my own benefit," he explained.

"We have an responsibility to make the game as great as it can be and the more I speak about it perhaps the more confident others will become about sharing their own experiences as well.

"I need to grab the bull by the opportunity and keep carrying this banner and keep carrying this responsibility and accomplish what I can to create possibilities and make the game more attractive and more inclusive.

"There are a lot of underprivileged children and a lot of economic hardship and I honestly think that the sport has the ability to change their lives, just as it did for me."