RFU survey reveals racism experienced by players ‘in every area of elite rugby’

• Discrimination found in ‘national team, clubs and academies’

• Findings arrive after Luther Burrell’s allegations of racism

Luther Burrell’s allegations of racism while at Newcastle were found to be true ‘on balance of probability’ after an RFU investigation. Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PA

The Rugby Football Union has pledged to ramp up efforts to tackle discrimination in the game after its own inclusion and diversity survey found that “in every area of elite rugby – men’s and women’s, national team, clubs and academies – players had experienced some form of racism”. Independent research into players’ experiences of discrimination in the elite game was commissioned by the governing body last year, following the former England centre Luther Burrell’s allegations of racism he suffered as a player at Newcastle in 2020. On Tuesday night the RFU also released the results of its investigation into those claims, which found Burrell’s allegations to be true “on balance of probability” but that there was “insufficient evidence to say whether all the allegations occurred at the club”.

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