Luther Burrell: Blowing whistle on racism killed my career
Burrell told BBC Sport he also faced prejudice within the England organization during his Test career, which saw him make 15 caps after his debut in February 2014.
“I had a lot of traumatic experiences in the England camp,” he said.
“Some discrimination and some old-school mentalities are really unacceptable.”
In Burrell’s experience, racism was normalized in locker rooms.
“This is something disguised as a joke, and that’s the problem that I personally experience and see,” said Burrell, who is of Jamaican descent.
“After a while you learn to believe that this is normal, that this is good, that it is not malicious, but this is bullshit.”
Burrell said he was encouraged to speak out after a Newcastle teammate described him as a “slave” and told him to put sunscreen on his wrists and ankles “where the shackles are”.
The RFU said Burrell’s comments led to “a deeper look at the culture within the elite game and the implementation of an action plan for the professional game”.
“The RFU has focused significantly on inclusivity and diversity in rugby union and has undertaken a great deal of work since before and since Luther Burrell came forward to share his experiences of racism and classism.” he added.
“We continue to work with clubs and stakeholders across professional football to strive for a culture of inclusion, but recognize that this takes time and is an ongoing process.”
Every Prem and PWR club now receives face-to-face training on building inclusive cultures, and its success is tracked through individual reports and surveys.
All England players, including age-grade teams, are trained to be “active bystanders” to intervene and protect others from harmful behaviour.
“You should be proud of what you’ve done,” Burrell’s mother Joyce told him as part of the BBC iPlayer documentary Luther Burrell – Rugby, Racism and Redemption.
“I know it had this effect on you and ended your career, but in our eyes you did so well. We are so proud of you and that you have a son.”
Burrell’s father, Geoff, died shortly after the documentary was filmed, and his sister also died earlier this year.
