Blowing whistle on racism killed my career, ex-England rugby player says

Luther Burrell, a former England centre, claims that going public to reveal bigotry in rugby union brought his career to an end early. Burrell, the external, in a June 2022interview with the Mail, described bigotry as rife in the game, including Whatsapp messages and recalling training ground jokes he had been exposed to while playing for Newcastle. Burrell's first professional rugby since being 34 and out of place of service has played three times with the Barbarians, who have invited them to play.

I have absolutely had to leave because of what happened,

Burrell, who spent seven years at Northampton before joining Newcastle, said.

I wanted to keep playing, of course I did. I tried to pursue it, but it fell through when news broke that there were still being probes going on.

It was difficult - I had to just accept the fate and accept that the whole process is much larger than me. Burrell's statements were on the balance of probabilities, according to the report, but it could not obtain sufficient evidence to say they did not exist at Newcastle" in April 2023.

Burrell told BBC Sport that he had also battled bigotry within the England team during a Test career that saw him win 15 caps after his debut in February 2014.

I've had several traumatic experiences in England camp,

he said.

Some bigotry and some other old-school mentality that is simply intolerable. In Burrell's case,

racism had become normalized in dressing rooms.

It's something that has been disguised as banter, and that's been the issue that I've personally suffered and seen,

Burrell, who is of Jamaican descent, said.

You'll learn that it's the norm over time, and that's fine and that it isn't harmful,

says the narrator. Burrell says he was eventually compelled to speak out after a colleague at Newcastle referred to him as a slave and told him to apply sun cream on his wrists and ankles

where your shackles were. Burrell's revelations, according to the RFU,

deeper insight into the elite game's history and the introduction of a professional game' s initiative.

The RFU has placed a strong emphasis on inclusion and diversity in rugby union, as well as a substantial body of work that has been carried out both before and after Luther Burrell came forward and shared his experiences of racism and classism,

it said.

We are still working with clubs and stakeholders in the professional game to foster a culture of inclusivity, but we acknowledge that this takes time and is an ongoing process.

Every Prem and PWR club now has face-to-face instruction on creating inclusive cultures, with its success tracked by individual reports and surveys. All England players, as well as age-grade squads, are trained to act and shield others from harmful conduct. As part of the BBC iPlayer documentary Luther Burrell - Rugby, Racism, and Redemption, Burrell's mother Joyce told him, You should be so proud of what you've done.I know it has had a negative effect on you and ended your career, but in our eyes, you have done so well. We are so proud of you and grateful to have you as a son. "Burrell's father Geoff died just after the filming of the film, and his sister died earlier this year.

Burrell, who grew up on a council estate in Huddersfield, continues to work to make the game more accessible. His 12 Foundation aims to reach children in underserved areas and help them thrive both on and off the field with free sports coaching, mentoring, and nutrition education.

I'm pure, I want to see the game's evolution, and if no one else is able to tell their tale, I'll keep fighting the game because I'm not just doing this for myself,

he said.

We have an obligation to make the game as good as it can be, and the more I talk about it, the more confident others will be able to share their own stories as well.

I need to grab the bull by the horns, keep carrying this banner, and keep raising the barge and making the sport more popular and more inclusive. "There are a lot of homeless children and a great deal of poverty, and I honestly believe that rugby has the ability to change their lives, as well as mine.

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