An American football team in Russia has come under fire for posting saucy snaps of themselves online.
The seven-woman-strong Vladivostok Orcas posed in their underwear to try and recruit new members to the newly-formed team.
Alongside the photos they posted: ‘Every day we fight. We fight not just with each other, but with public opinion.
‘We [rip up] not only each other’s T-shirts, but publicly accepted and acclaimed beauty standards.We believe that American football is beautiful.
‘We support each other, we cry and laugh together… join us.’
‘It’s like pornography’: The seven-woman-strong Vladivostok Orcas posed in their underwear this week to try and recruit new members to the newly-formed team
But after recruiting 10 new players they have now been accused of ‘defeminising’ women by outraged internet users.
Someone calling herself Lyudmila Yevtushenko complained: ‘This is a complete degradation of taste and ethics. They downgrade the classical image of a female.’
Another called Inga commented: ‘It looks more like pornography.’
One called Svetlana Kulesh complained: ‘It’s good they are breaking stereotypes, but did they really have to get into their undies for this shoot?’
While Yulia Ukhman posted: ‘They look nothing like American football! I live in America and go watch it every year. I don’t even know how to name this cheap art!’
Recruitment boost: Alongside the photos they posted: ‘Every day we fight. We fight not just with each other, but with public opinion’
Backlash: After recruiting 10 new players they have now been accused of ‘defeminising’ women by outraged internet users
After the saucy snaps appeared online, one person complained: ‘This is a complete degradation of taste and ethics. They downgrade the classical image of a female’
One angry fan commented: ‘It’s good they are breaking stereotypes, but did they really have to get into their undies for this shoot?’
The Vladivostok Orcas, who only came together three years ago, won their first game against a team called Cobras from the city of Khabarovsk in June 2017, attracting a crowd of just 300.
The Orcas have now denied they are defeminising women and have hit back at their critics.
Team player Anna Smirnova told local media: ‘We expected people to get interested, but we did not expect such an effect as this one.
‘The goal was to recruit new girls into the team, to show we are not different then other girls and that we exist.’
Stars on the rise: The Vladivostok Orcas, who only came together three years ago, won their first game against a team called Cobras from the city of Khabarovsk in June 2017, attracting a crowd of just 300
Defensive: The Orcas have now denied they are defeminising women and have hit back at their critics
One of the girls, team player Anna Smirnova told local media: ‘We expected people to get interested, but we did not expect such an effect as this one’
Defending the snaps, one of the players said: ‘The goal was to recruit new girls into the team, to show we are not different then other girls and that we exist’
Team captain Darya Botsul added: ‘Many people asked why are we are showing our bruises?
‘Why haven’t we photoshopped them and so on. I do not understand these questions, this is sport after all.
‘How can we expect to recruit someone and say there will be no bruises?
‘We love and cherish every player of our team.
‘Together we want to be better. We gathered engineers, cooks, doctors, painters and teachers in our team and many other incredible people. We would not exist without them!’