Leroy Cudjoe hopes to no longer encounter racism – on or off the rugby league pitch
LEROY Cudjoe is ready for a new era – one in which he does not experience racism, either on or off a rugby league pitch.
The former England centre admits he is still fighting the problems that saw him experience people being judged for the colour of their skin.
He himself has been called names – he would rather not say but concedes, ‘I’m sure people can work it out for themselves.’
Now as the Black Lives Matter movement raises issues surrounding racism – including things like the ‘White Lives Matter’ banner flown over a Burnley football match – Cudjoe hopes highlighting them may finally end the stigma.
The Huddersfield star said: “It’s gone on for years, people are fed up and want to fight for equality.
“To be given the same opportunities in life to be successful without having to deal with systemic racism.
“Racism goes past name calling and effects black people in their daily lives in many different ways.
“It’s important for me to help educate people around me so we can push forward and be classed as equals.
“I’ve experienced racism both outside rugby and inside of rugby - not always directed at me but it still happens. I’ve heard people judge another person based on the colour of their skin.
“That’s why I’m very supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s also an opportunity to help educate people to understand.”
While a passionate believer in anti-racism, Cudjoe is also trying to re-establish himself as a damn fine centre after two years of knee injury problems.
He is off contract at the end of this year but the 32-year-old is adamant he wants to carry on.
He added: “My plan is to play on, I’m feeling really good and excited about getting back out there.
“My focus is proving my fitness and form. If I do that then I’m confident everything should fall into place.
“The knee’s feeling really good, I’ve continued to train through the whole lockdown.
“I saw it as an opportunity to get better physically and try catch up to the other boys who have done a full pre-season. I put a structure in place similar to what I would be doing and stuck to that.
Rugby league will be opened up to a new audience next year when Jamaica make their debut in the World Cup – but Cudjoe would go further.
His heritage is from the island of Carriacou, which belongs to Grenada, ruling him out, like several other Super League players whose heritage comes from elsewhere in the Caribbean.
So he would widen it out, adding: “Being involved with Jamaica isn’t an option in the rules, neither would it be right.
“It’s a massive achievement and I'll support them from afar but it’s a shame we don’t have a West Indies team as that would open up the pool of players that could get involved.”
