Storm cheerleaders ditched for gender diverse “dance crew”
The Sydney Swans cheerleaders called the 'Swanettes'. 9News
The most famous cheerleaders in Melbourne are set to be axed, with the Storm NRL club switching to a gender diverse “gritty dance crew”.
The Storm girls have been a staple at rugby league games since 1998, with club ranked No.1 for match-day experience by NRL fans.
The club thanked the Storm cheerleaders for entertaining fans for over two decades, but said the club is opting for “female and male entertainers to have the opportunity to be part of the Storm”.
Cheerleaders, who are still a staple in American sports entertainment line-ups, haven’t been a part of the AFL scene since the 1980s when the Carlton Bluebirds and Sydney Swannettes were match-day fixtures.
A number of sports have moved away from the cheerleaders in recent times with Formula 1 axing its Grid Girls.
The NBL still has cheerleaders court-side but they also include male and female dancers.
Auditions for the new dance squad are to be held on March 1 with anyone interested urged to contact castings@spectrumtalentagency.com.au by February 28.
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