Burrell finds 'closure' after allegations of racism at Newcastle upheld

Luther Burrell has found a "sense of closure" after an independent investigation found he was the victim of racial abuse during his time at Newcastle, although the Rugby Football Union has ruled out taking disciplinary action.

Burrell's claims made in the Mail on Sunday in June last year have been upheld by the inquiry, which interviewed 93 members of staff at the club, including players and coaches.

Amongst the evidence gathered was a post on a players’ WhatsApp group that contained a "wholly inappropriate racist term".

The former England centre, who is of Jamaican descent, said he was subjected to comments about slavery, bananas and fried chicken, adding that "racial banter" had become "normalised" among team-mates.

Following the conclusion of the investigation, Burrell told BBC Sport: "Does it provide me with a sense of closure? I believe so, yes.

"It’s been a tough eight to 10 months. I was disappointed initially by the lack of support shown from some of my peers.

"It was as if my comments were being dismissed. It was almost like people needed proof, and now this has come out people will understand that what I was saying has been deemed to be the truth. And we can all hopefully move on and generate change. I’m proud of what I’ve done, and I’m proud of the support that I’ve had.

"To call anybody a slave is not funny, so it was abhorrent behaviour. It was something that affects my dignity as a player, it affects me as a human and as a father."

Burrell spent the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons at Kingston Park, departing in June shortly after making the abuse he faced public.

It was concluded by the investigation that "on the balance of probability, the allegations made in the article are true, but there is insufficient evidence to