Blowing the alarm on racial discrimination ended my career - Luther Burrell

Warning: This piece includes details of discriminatory language and conduct

Ex-England centre Luther Burrell says that going public to expose racial discrimination in professional rugby led his professional journey to an premature end.

In a 2022 interview, Burrell described racism as being "rife" in the game, displaying digital communications and remembering training ground "comments" he had been exposed to while representing Newcastle.

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

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

"I really wanted to carry on playing, of course I did. I sought that, and it collapsed when news emerged that there were investigations going on.

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

A sports organization report in 2023 found Burrell's claims were true "likely correct", but said it could not gather enough evidence to definitively say they happened at Newcastle.

Burrell told journalists he also faced discrimination within the England team environment, during a international career that saw him win 15 appearances after his first game in 2014.

"I've had multiple traumatic experiences within England camp," he stated.

"Some discrimination and other just outdated thinking that's really unacceptable."

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

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

"Over a period of time you just learn to believe that it's the norm and that is acceptable and that it's not harmful, but that's incorrect."

Burrell says he was finally spurred to go public after a fellow player at Newcastle called him as a "enslaved person" 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 "increased scrutiny at the culture within the elite game and to the implementation of an strategy for the professional game."

"The organization has given significant attention on inclusion and inclusion in rugby union and a great deal of work completed both before and after Luther Burrell spoke publicly and revealed his experiences of racism and classism," it added.

"The organization are continuing work with teams and stakeholders in the professional game to strive for a culture of acceptance but acknowledge this requires patience and is an ongoing process."

All Prem and women's rugby club now has in-person education on building inclusive environments, with its effectiveness monitored via specific documentation and feedback.

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

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

"I know it has had this impact on you and ended your playing days, but in our view, you have done so much. We are so impressed of you and to have you as a son."

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

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

His 12 Foundation aims to reach children in disadvantaged communities and help them thrive both on the pitch with complimentary sports training, mentoring and dietary education.

"My intentions are pure, I want to see the progress of the game and if nobody else is prepared to share their experience then I'll persist to fight that fight because I'm not just doing this for myself," he explained.

"Everyone involved have an obligation to make the game as excellent as it can be and the more I speak about it perhaps the more confident others will become about discussing their own experiences as well.

"I grab the challenge by the horns and continue bearing this banner and continue supporting this weight and do what I can to develop possibilities and make the game more appealing and more welcoming.

"There's a lot of disadvantaged 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."