Why don't we have Cheerleaders at the home games

[Jess]

Hey TIF... what's with the epic groanathon?

[Darren]

He's about to jump on a plane to en zud for 10 days and won't be here....

[Jess]

ok I pose a question to those who want cheerleaders at the games,

Do you really feel that having cheerleaders has the best interests of the game itself at heart, or it's just a shallow desire to have some eye candy to look at. Does anyone honestly think it will improve the quality of the rugby we're seeing or will it just give the blokes something to perve on while there is a break in play.

Is the atmosphere created by watching first class rugby not enough for you all? Is it not enough to go to watch the Force play and hopefully win, that we need half naked women prancing around to make it more enjoyable?

I'm all for beautiful women showing off their bodies if they've worked hard to achieve them but I just think there are more appropriate places. Nude women and pornographic material have already infiltrated the print media and are all over the internet. There are so many places you can go to to see scantily clad chicks jumping around... why does it have to be at a rugby game too.

It will draw attention away from the game and make a majority of the female supporters uncomfortable. Who really wants to watch their boyfriends, husbands, dads and brothers oggle cheerleaders? It's awkward and embarrassing.

Why can't it just be about the sport and not the show?

Isn't rugby enough?

[Jess]

And TIF so help me god if you groan that post...

[BLR]

I like the eye candy.

If anything it adds to the game, why watch scrums reseting when the cheerleaders are helping us cheer!

[Swee_82]

Jess I'd thank you 40 times for that post if I could!

In 25 years I am yet to see a 'professional' cheerleading displays actually generate any additional cheering from the masses, just alot of leering- even the poor Emirates girls couldn't walk around the field without it!
I rate the arguement that cheerleaders are there to 'build atmosphere' and 'build-up the crowd' about as much as I believe the Japanese have been doing invaluable scientific research in the Southern Ocean over the summer.

(I say 'professional, as in, chicks that wave poms poms at footy games. When I was in the states I ended up watching a schools cheerleading competition on ESPN one day, and despite it being a little wanky , there is alot of skill/athletic/gymnastic ability in some of those routines, so teams like that escape my tirade)

[Badger]

this is the bit where i usually step in and say something vastly inappropriate but am afraid to so i won't.

[jono]

Now BROKE hot chicks would be a different story, I'm all for supporting the poor!

hahaha nice!

[GIGS20]

See Jess I knew you'd see the light

those who want cheerleaders at the games...you really feel that having cheerleaders has the best interests of the game itself at heart...a ...desire to have some eye candy to look at...it will improve the quality of the rugby we're seeing...something to perve on while there is a break in play.

...we need half naked women prancing around to make it more enjoyable?

I'm all for beautiful women showing off their bodies...Nude women and pornographic material...are all over the internet...you can go...to see scantily clad chicks jumping around... why ...it have to be at a rugby game too.

It will draw attention ... and make a majority of the female supporters ... watch their boyfriends, husbands, dads and brothers oggle cheerleaders?...
Why can't it just be about the ... show? ...

Couldn't have said it better myself! Aside from a few grammatical errors!

[MI5_Dog]

just alot of leering- even the poor Emirates girls couldn't walk around the field without it!

be fair though Swee, the leering was only from the Crusaders supporters and they are obviously a very low class bunch

[Flamethrower]

Who really wants to watch their boyfriends, husbands, dads and brothers oggle cheerleaders? It's awkward and embarrassing.

Who really wants to watch their girlfriends, wives, mums and sisters oggle the players?
It's awkward and embarrassing.

[The Lone Hydrangea]

Well im sorry to throw a spanner in the works but, Mrs TLH loves rugby and especially Cams and Gits bottoms during the game. You dont hear me complaining of these obviously blatant offensive remarks here. There is a Ladies Lounge somewhere to vent your spleen in.

[Jess]

Can everyone please stop turning this into a feminist issue please? It's not fair. My opinions are not rooted in feminism, they're my expressions as a person who happens to be a woman, who enjoys watching her rugby without the need for any extra glitz to make it enjoyable. I love watching rugby, just the way it is.

Please don't dismiss me because I'm a woman.

[YOTC]

Yay cheerleaders. How exciting. That will really entertain.

Also hooray for padding, helmets and George Bush.

[The EnForcer]

I'm not really sure what the problem is.....