LUTHER BURRELL: I may have sacrificed my career to speak out on racism, but I’d do it again
LUTHER BURRELL: I may have sacrificed my career to speak out about racism, but I’d do it again… players will now think twice before saying anything that could be offensive in the locker room or on a team social
It was a long wait for the outcome of the racism investigation, but I can now speak with my chest out, proud of the outcome. It was a stressful process, challenging the status quo. It’s easy to get spooked by all this.
There were plenty of times when I thought it would have been easier to just keep quiet, but I’m glad I told my story. Everything I said is highly supported and I hope it is a catalyst for change.
We have to be realistic. Society tells us that we have these conversations and it is quickly forgotten. I won’t just slip away quietly.
I’m really thankful for all the support I’ve received from the crowd and old teammates over the past week. Also from Bill Sweeney and Tom Ilube at the RFU and from Simon Massie-Taylor at Premiership Rugby, who have a duty to make our sport more appealing to the next generation.
I was disappointed by the reactions of some former colleagues. They did not show my comments the level of respect I had hoped for. Even now there is still a minority in rugby who questions me and calls me to name names.
Luther Burrell’s revelations of abuses of slavery and race were corroborated by the RFU
Burrell plays for the Newcastle Falcons in a Premiership Rugby match last year
I am disappointed with the way Newcastle have handled things. They said it was impossible to take action if I didn’t identify anyone behind the discrimination. But if I had, it would have been a witch hunt. It would have gotten messy and we wouldn’t be having these productive conversations now.
It was good to see someone like Maro Itoje talk about his experiences in the sport. When he speaks, people notice. Hopefully, players will be in a stronger position to call things out in the future.
I’m sure players will now think twice before saying anything that could be offensive in the dressing room or on a social media platform. I know that the RFU is considering introducing disciplinary action and I would welcome that. The sport needs to embrace things like race, class, religion and sexuality more because it holds back the game. The sport is hugely underrepresented in minority groups and I hope that changes.
Appointing Christian Scotland-Williamson to the diversity panel is a good move as he will not shy away from the truth. It’s important to keep having these conversations. I hope the clubs respond to this RFU survey and show that they are implementing things within their own structures, rather than just performance measures.
I don’t know if I will experience the change myself as a player. I never announced my retirement. But aside from talks about playing for the Barbarians again, I haven’t had the offers I’d hoped for. I am still training hard, six days a week, and in fantastic shape. If the right club called I would give it my full attention, but I’m not active, desperate for a contract.
I may have sacrificed my career to speak out. But I knew that could happen. Clubs don’t like people who challenge the status quo. You are stereotyped as someone who is difficult.
Burrell, pictured playing for England in 2015, wants to change the environment for young stars
A lengthy eight-month investigation into the Center’s experiences revealed multiple instances of racism and new instances of discrimination during the investigation.
Since going public, Burrell has not been offered a new deal and many believe he is now retired
I am thankful that I have had a great career and when I stop playing I can walk away from the sport with my head held high. I certainly don’t regret what I did. I was extremely proud to play for England, but the decision to break my silence on racism feels just as important.
It’s been a long time since I sat down with the guys at The Mail on a Sunday and talked about this over steak, chips and macaroni cheese. I hesitated to speak out. But when I started sharing my experiences with people outside rugby, they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
Eventually I realized I had to get everything out. Even if it meant putting myself in the line of fire.
It took a long time for the findings to come out, but it was never swept under the rug. All this has no expiration date. It’s just a great starting point. I hope it will leave the game in a better place than I found it.