A female AFL club in New South Wales is under investigation after complaints arose over players being allegedly pressured into running laps of the oval with no pants on.
The Bathurst Lady Bushrangers claimed victory in the Central West league’s women’s grand final early in September against the Dubbo Demons.
But after enforcing a post match tradition, which subjects non-scoring players to run around in their underwear, the club has landed itself in hot water with the NSW AFL peak body.
Five girls were called up to complete the embarrassing duty, with two complying and three refusing to take part.
Bathurst Bushrangers’ women’s AFL side have come under fire after a complaint was made that some players were pressured to take part in an ‘undie run’ against their will
According to a team spokesperson, the side was merely taking part in a long-standing tradition which was a ritual among many professional and amateur sporting clubs.
However, a complaint was submitted to AFL NSW/ACT, prompting the matter to be investigated.
The club have quashed speculation it was forcing women against their will to strip off for the run.
‘There is no way we would force anyone in the club to get naked against their will,’ Kelsey Richards of Bushrangers told ABC News.
‘There is no way we would force anyone in the club to get naked against their will,’ Kelsey Richards of Bushrangers said
‘For as long as I’ve known, the nudie run or in our case, it was an undie run, has been a long-held tradition in team sports throughout the world,’ she said.
‘So yes, of course we’ve done it (before) in our club and I’ve done it at other clubs and an issue hasn’t been voiced about it.’
The team took to social media to further defend themselves against claims made in an alleged inaccurate newspaper article.
A statement was shared to the Bathurst Bushrangers AFL Club’s Facebook page on Thursday, explaining none of the women felt violated or under pressure to take part.
‘On the night of the grand final celebrations, five ladies were called out to complete the run. Two females from the Lady Bushrangers team completed the run in their underwear (they were not naked), in the dark, in front of approximately ten female teammates,’ it read.
The club hit back against speculation it had objectified and pressured its players into an uncomfortable and demeaning situation
‘Both women who completed the run are adults and consented to the run, and have been interviewed and made statements in which they’ve taken full responsibility for their choices.’
‘Three ladies stated that they did not want to participate in the run, and therefore did not partake and this decision was respected by their team mates.’
The post went on to explain there were no men observers, and the female players were ‘wholly respected by the club’.
‘To think that as a club we have been accused of mistreating our teammates, or that we would condone abuse against women, is abhorrent.’
The Bathurst Bushrangers and AFL Central West are cooperating with AFL NSW/ACT on the matter.
The post went on to explain there were no men observers, and the female players were ‘wholly respected by the club’