I didn’t know cheerleading existed in Australia. I mean, I knew it existed – my 12-year-old cousin takes cheerleading classes after school like other girls play soccer or do gymnastics. But what I didn’t know was that it existed on the sidelines of sporting grounds, much like it does in the movies – that women were dancing in short skirts, supporting burly men on the field.
There’s a debate raging at the moment as to whether that should be the case. NRL is one of only a few sports in Australia that have cheerleaders included as part of game day entertainment (the AFL have cheer squads – but they’re more the guernsey-wearing, flag-waving kind of supporters.)
Two passionate opinion pieces have recently been published on the subject of cheerleading and the NRL. One was in support of the practice that gives women “the right to utilise her god-given assets”. The other was against the idea of women dressing “in tight low cutting tops, short skirts, knee high vinyl boots, looking pretty much like, well… hookers”.
In this piece published on radio station Triple M’s website, the “we at Triple M” brigade argued cheerleading was a proud tradition in football. In this post on opinion site The Punch, Sam Squiers argued that cheerleading was an American tradition and that the phenomenon only hit Australian sporting fields in the late ’60s – more than 50 years after the first NRL game.
Top Comments
I find this discussion very interesting as I myself am a cheerleader for the West Tigers Pom Squad.
I am a passionate, dedicated supporter of the Rugby League and my club.
I've danced for 13 years and auditions are tough, requiring great athletic skill, flexibility and the talent of entertaining a crowd of 80,000 people.
I am full time university student, work two jobs and train with the cheerleaders every week. I have a boyfriend and am in no means a 'skunk' because I do what i love for a sport I love - infact I could think of nothing better.
West Tigers have the largest pom squad in NRL history and embrace youth development much like the junior league do, with cheerleaders being able to dance and cheer from 4 years old.
If you have seen the WT cheer squad uniforms you'd know they are long sleeve, high cut, midriff covered dance costumes, not suggestive nor objectifying; a sensible choice of the club.
Cheerleaders are there to dance and support the sports team the love, something true fans and supporters should have no problem with.
Their victories are our victories!
The only put you ladies down because they prefer not to pay you ... Cheerleaders dont get the air time or the money they deserve ...
I go to the nrl and stuff to watch the sport not cheerleaders who have no talent all they can do is swing there arms and legs around nothing worse then trying to watch the game and having to have to c them bring in the chubby cheerleaders then I mite watch