The former player: 'I really hoped to carry on playing'
Warning: This article includes descriptions of discriminatory language and conduct
FormerEngland player Luther Burrell says that going public to expose racial discrimination in professional rugby led his career to an premature end.
In a June 2022, Burrell described racism as being "rife" in the sport, displaying digital communications and remembering training ground "jokes" he had been subject to while representing Newcastle.
At that time 34 and out of contract, 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 explained to media outlets.
"I really wanted to continue competing, of course I did. I pursued that, and it collapsed when word came out that there were inquiries underway.
"This situation was challenging - I had to simply accept the outcome and understand that this whole situation is a lot more important than me."
A rugby governing body report in 2023 found Burrell's allegations were accurate "on the balance of probability", but said it could not collect sufficient evidence to definitively say they occurred at Newcastle.
Luther Burrell started all of England's Six Nations games in 2014-15, but was controversially overlooked for their squad for the 2015 World Cup
Burrell revealed to journalists he also encountered discrimination within the England team environment, during a Test career that saw him earn 15 appearances after his first game in February 2014.
"I have had multiple traumatic experiences within England camp," he said.
"Some discrimination and other just outdated thinking that's really unacceptable."
Racism had become normalised in dressing rooms, in Burrell's experience.
"This is something that has been disguised as humour and that's been the issue that I've personally experienced and seen," 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 acceptable and that it's not harmful, but that's nonsense."
Burrell says he was eventually motivated to speak out after a team-mate at Newcastle called him as a "enslaved person" and instructed him to put sun cream on his arms and legs "where your shackles were."
The governing body said Burrell's revelations had led to "a deeper look at the culture within the professional level and to the implementation of an action plan for the elite level."
"The organization has given considerable attention on diversity and diversity in the sport and a substantial amount of work undertaken both prior and after Luther Burrell spoke publicly and revealed his experiences of racism and class discrimination," it continued.
"We are continuing work with teams and stakeholders in the professional game to work for a culture of acceptance but recognize this requires patience and is an ongoing process."
Every Prem and PWR club now has face-to-face training on building welcoming environments, with its effectiveness monitored via specific documentation and feedback.
All England players, including youth squads, are educated in being "engaged observers" to intervene and protect others from harmful conduct.
"You should be so proud of what you have accomplished," Burrell's mother Joyce told him as part of the film Luther Burrell - Rugby, Racism and Redemption.
"I know it has had this impact on you and ended your career, but in our view, you have done so much. We are so proud of you and to have you as a son."
Burrell's father Geoff passed away shortly after the filming of the film, and his sister passed away recently.
Burrell, who grew up on a social housing in Huddersfield, maintains his work to make the sport more accessible.
His 12 Foundation aims to reach young people in disadvantaged communities and support them thrive both on the pitch with free sports coaching, mentoring and nutrition education.
"My motivations are genuine, I want to see the evolution of the sport and if others is willing to share their experience then I'll persist to advocate for that fight because I'm not just pursuing this for myself," he explained.
"Everyone involved have an obligation to make the game as great as it can be and the more I talk about it perhaps the more confident others will feel about discussing their own experiences as well.
"I need to grab the bull by the opportunity and continue bearing this banner and continue carrying this weight and accomplish what I can to create opportunities and make the game more appealing and more welcoming.
"There's a lot of disadvantaged young people 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."
Burrell scored for the Barbarians on a comeback to previous team Northampton in late 2022
