Russell Crowe dumps cheerleaders

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Oscar-winner Russell Crowe is to axe cheerleaders from his Australian rugby league club.

The Gladiator star, who co-owns the South Sydney Rabbitohs, will replace the girls with a drumming band after fans, including his wife, complained.

"It makes women uncomfortable and it makes blokes who take their sons to the football also uncomfortable," he said.

Cheerleader Ashleigh Francis said her squad had only tried to add glamour to the Rabbitohs' games.

"Children at the games were constantly approaching us and asking for autographs and photos," she told Syndey's Daily Telegraph newspaper.

"Little girls would even ask if they were old enough to be cheergirls too," she added.

'Inappropriate'

But Crowe defended the changes, saying the club had become concerned the cheerleaders - whose uniform included fishnet stockings and tasselled miniskirts in the white, green and red team colours - were inappropriate entertainment.

The club's website is currently advertising for drummers, both male and female, to join the marching band.

Crowe, 42, said he hoped the new entertainers would encourage women to attend matches and added that his wife, Danielle Spencer, had given her approval.

"She likes the fact that game day entertainment will be multi-sex," he said.

"We've talked to a lot of people and everyone sees it as being progressive."

The star, who won an Oscar for Gladiator in 2000, is a long-term Rabbitohs fan.

Last year, he teamed up with businessman Peter Holmes a Court to buy a 75% share in the struggling club for Aus$3m (£1.2m).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6350453.stm

[DeadPoolX 9]

Well, I never really thought of cheerleaders as a bad thing, but as co-owner, it's within Crowe's right to do this...

[dalegg 143]

How many women in this world (who are cheerleaders) did he just offend in one single sentence?

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

There's a whole rugby team of guys for the girls to look at. They think getting rid of cheerleaders will bring in more women? Sounds like his wife had a large part in this decision.

[SoL. 0]

I think was his wife's decision, she couldn't tolerate him looking and flirting with all of them

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

There's a whole rugby team of guys for the girls to look at. They think getting rid of cheerleaders will bring in more women? Sounds like his wife had a large part in this decision.

[DeadPoolX 9]

That's great! Where'd you get that magazine? It looks like something off SomethingAwful.com, or to be more precise, one of their Photoshop Phridays.

[Fandango 1,439]

There's a whole rugby team of guys for the girls to look at. They think getting rid of cheerleaders will bring in more women? Sounds like his wife had a large part in this decision.

totally agreed with both of you.

DeadPool, you can make it here

[Carlawarla 1]

To me, it's more about the game of football, period. You go to watch the game. All the silly entertainment, particularly the stuff that is degrading (don't know what these women were wearing), is annoying. I personally enjoy the gymnastics of the men/women team cheerleading, but would prefer it during halftime only.

Carla

[almaty 19]

There's a whole rugby team of guys for the girls to look at. They think getting rid of cheerleaders will bring in more women? Sounds like his wife had a large part in this decision.

yeap..he is certainly PW...