Women’s American Football team in Vladivostok accused of vulgarity after daring photoshoot

The newly-created Vladivostok ‘Orcas' are accused of ‘defeminising’ women with a shoot to promote the sport on the Pacific coast of Russia. 

Their underwear shoot is far from an original idea but it seems to have stirred up more anger and emotion than most. 

The aim was to invite more players to sign up for the Orcas.

'Every day we fight. We fight not just with each other, but with public opinion,' says their message on social media. 

'We tear 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.'

Their first game was against the well-established Cobras from Khabarovsk in June 2017, and it attracted a crowd of 300.

But they were hit by a wave of criticism notably from women. 

Svetlana Kulesh wrote: ’It’s good they are breaking stereotypes, but did they really have to get into their undies for this shoot?’

Yulia Ukhman complained: '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!'

Lyudmila Yevtushenko complained: 'This is a complete degradation of taste and ethics. 

'They downgrade the classical image of a female.’

One man, Roman, asked: 'Why such cheap-looking underwear?’ 

Inga told them: ‘It looks more like pornography.’

But there was support for them from Oksana Skorobogatko: 'Good first shoot girls! Next session will be better. 

'And to those scared to bare their own bodies in splendid underwear, I wish you were a bit more loyal and calm.'

But the women footballers also won support from the Wild Pandas rugby team, also from Vladivostok.

Captain Roman Fatyanov said: 'We saw that there was an ambiguous reaction to the photoshoot of our girls in the 'Vladivostok Orcas'.'

So the rugby boys made their own version...