The former player: 'I really hoped to carry on playing'
Warning: This piece contains details of discriminatory comments and conduct
Ex-England player Luther Burrell says that going public to reveal racial discrimination in professional rugby led his professional journey to an premature conclusion.
In a June 2022, Burrell described racism as being "rife" in the game, displaying Whatsapp messages and remembering training ground "comments" he had been subject to while representing Newcastle.
Then 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 absolutely had to end my career because of what occurred," he explained to media outlets.
"I hoped to continue competing, naturally I did. I sought that, and it fell through when news emerged that there were investigations going on.
"That was challenging - I had to just come to terms with the outcome and accept that this whole situation is a lot more important than me."
A sports organization investigation 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 played in all of England's Six Nations games in 2014 and 2015, but was controversially excluded for their team for the 2015 World Cup
Burrell told media he also encountered discrimination within the England set-up, during a international career that saw him win 15 appearances after his debut in 2014.
"I have had several traumatic experiences within England camp," he stated.
"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.
"This is something that has been disguised as humour and that's been the issue that I've myself experienced and seen," said Burrell, who is of Jamaican heritage.
"During a period of time you just begin 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 eventually motivated to speak out after a fellow player at Newcastle called him as a "slave" and told him to put sun cream on his wrists and ankles "where chains would be placed."
The governing body said Burrell's disclosures had led to "increased scrutiny at the culture within the elite game and to the introduction of an action plan for the elite level."
"The organization has placed significant focus on inclusion and diversity in rugby union and a substantial amount of work completed both prior and after Luther Burrell came forward and revealed his experiences of racism and classism," it added.
"The organization are ongoing work with teams and stakeholders in the elite level to strive for a culture of inclusivity but acknowledge this takes time and is an continuous effort."
Every Prem and women's rugby club now has in-person training on creating welcoming environments, with its success monitored via specific documentation and feedback.
All England players, including age-grade squads, are educated in being "engaged observers" to intervene and protect others from damaging conduct.
"You be so pleased of what you have done," Burrell's mother Joyce said to him as part of the film about his experiences.
"I know it has had this effect on you and ended your career, but in our view, 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 sibling died earlier this year.
Burrell, who grew up on a council estate in his hometown, maintains his work to make the game more accessible.
His 12 Foundation works to reach children in disadvantaged communities and help them succeed both on the pitch with free sports coaching, mentoring and dietary education.
"My intentions are pure, I want to see the progress of the sport and if nobody else is prepared to tell their experience then I'll continue to fight that fight because I'm not just pursuing this for myself," he said.
"We have an obligation to make the game as great as it can be and the more I speak about it hopefully the more comfortable fellow players will feel about sharing their own experiences as well.
"I need to grab the bull by the horns and continue carrying this flag and continue supporting this responsibility and accomplish what I can to create opportunities and make the sport more appealing and more inclusive.
"There are a lot of disadvantaged young people and a lot of poverty and I honestly think that the sport has the potential to transform their futures, just as it transformed things for me."
Burrell scored a try for the Barbarians on a comeback to former club Northampton in late 2022
