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While I greatly appreciate the physically demanding routines and the athletes that perform them, cheerleaders as they are currently known no longer have a place in the NRL.
For a long time, cheerleaders have been part of the game day experience. Before, during and possibly after the game patrons would have the pleasure of watching scantily clad women with pom-poms perform routines.
The Women in League round aims to acknowledge women’s amazing contributions to the sport, from grassroots to the boardroom.
This season, CEO Dave Smith also publicly displayed a strong desire to further increase the support and involvement of women within the league.
One of the most important steps in including women is creating a more comfortable and welcoming environment and culture. No one would dispute that the NRL is male dominated.
Men play the game, make up a majority of viewership, the commentators are men, the referees are men, and the boss is a man. We ‘men’ gather at bars to drink Tooheys and talk about whether or not the Rabbitohs will be able to clear their throats this season, or bond over how much we collectively hate Nate Myles.
Granted, these are stereotypes, but this is a culture that has been created over 100 years of competition.
And it is dated.
Although there is the argument that cheerleaders enjoy what they do or that they choose to wear those outfits, cheerleaders are most certainly defined as entertainment for men. They dance so heterosexual men can stare at them and appreciate their beauty. So that 40-year-old men can wolf whistle as they pass, so that they can derive enjoyment from their objectification.
As I talked to my girlfriend about the issue, she reflected these views. Though she doesn’t mind watching the cheerleading in itself, she said, “When men in the crowd react the way they do it makes me uncomfortable and a little bit angry.
“The only reason football clubs employ cheerleaders is for the enjoyment of men, it’s objectifying and I think we have moved past that.”
The Canterbury Bulldogs have taken this step, with CEO Raelene Castle removing the clubs resident ‘Belles’ for the 2014 season. The new ‘Sapphires’ now favour off-field work such as hospital visits and corporate entertainment.
“We want to go in a more professional direction, where they do more than just dance in revealing outfits,” Castle said. “We want them to be ambassadors and have a much greater role in promoting what this club stands for.”
The NRL should enforce the transformations of all cheerleading squads. As a constant consumer of the NRL product, I am more than willing to forego a two-minute dance routine for an improved culture, decreased female objectification, and the professional advancement of our beautiful game.
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