National Football League

Lingerie football slammed abroad

Published May. 23, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

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Australia's federal sports minister has hit out at the Lingerie Football League, describing it as "cheap," "degrading" and a "perv" ahead of the sport's debut in the country.

Writing for women's blog site Mamamia.com.au, Kate Lundy said, "As Minister for Sport, I can't abide a spectacle that degrades women and threatens to undermine the progress of women in sport in Australia.

"Today, women involved in sport at all levels — players, coaches, administrators and volunteers — are still fighting for recognition. In the year 2012, we should be applauding the athletic feats and sportsmanship of our female athletes, not screening a show to provide cheap titillation to a few.

"The purveyors of LFL can't be described as genuine fans of women's sport and I don't imagine they'd be as enthusiastic about gridiron if their favorite male team was forced to play in similar attire."

The seven-on-seven league was created in the US in 2009 and, as the name suggests, features scantily-clad women playing American football.

It will launch in Australia with two exhibition matches in June, and a full league is scheduled to begin Down Under in 2013.

Lundy said the introduction of the league was a blight on the Australian sporting landscape.

"The LFL is about giving viewers an opportunity to perv on women in gear that looks like it's come from an adult shop," she said. "It's called the Lingerie Football League because it's almost exclusively about the underwear."

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