Luther Burrell claims speaking out about racist abuse ended rugby career

The former England player Luther Burrell has alleged he was effectively forced to retire after he spoke out about racist abuse he suffered from teammates.

Burrell first alleged he had been the victim of racism while playing for Newcastle in 2022. Among the allegations he made at the time, Burrell claimed a teammate had referred to him as a “slave” and told him to apply sunscreen to his wrists and ankles as that’s “where your shackles were”.

Speaking on Monday to the BBC, Burrell said the investigation that began after he made the claims caused his opportunities to dry up and that despite wanting to keep playing he has been unable to find a contract at a professional club for the past three years.

“I have absolutely had to retire because of what’s gone on,” Burrell said. “I wanted to carry on playing. I pursued and it fell through when word came out that there were investigations going on, so that was difficult. I had to just accept the fate and that this whole process is bigger than me.”

Burrell, who played as a centre, left Newcastle at the end of the 2021‑22 season, after which he made his ­experiences public.

An investigation by the Rugby Football Union found that “on the balance of probability” ­Burrell’s claims were likely true, but it could not definitively prove that most of the abuse happened at Newcastle.

The club later said that the only proven incidents during his time there, which involved racist messages in a players’ WhatsApp group and incidents on an away day and a night out, were “gravely concerning” and “incredibly disappointing”, but that they were unable to take disciplinary action against ­individuals due to “no further actionable ­evidence” such as names or dates being provided.

Burrell said much of the racism he experienced was “something that’s dressed up as banter” and that he had also experienced “several traumatic experiences” while playing for England, for whom he made 15 appearances between 2014 and 2016. Burrell also said there were “undertones of discrimination” throughout English rugby.