A GIRLS’ university polo team has provoked a fierce backlash after posing for a series of raunchy snaps on the seaside.
Dressed in full polo gear and tight jodhpurs, the group were promoting an approaching polo competition during the shoot at Brighton Pier.
However, their antics brought a wave of condemnation.
Last night the 11 undergraduates were branded a “disgrace” and accused of revering to “1970s smutty postcard” stereotypes.
Gee Riley, 21, said: “Stupid, stupid girls. They are supposed to be promoting the strong image of a female polo team but instead they are pandering to a sexist, outdated image of sportswomen.
“It sends out the wrong message. What young girl is going to want to join this society if she thinks she’s going to be judged on the shape of her bottom?
“I think they are a disgrace and they need to wake up; this is the 21st century.”
Gee, a second-year student at the university, said: “It’s a 1970s smutty postcard cliché and at least one of them should have known it was wrong.”
The photo shoot took place on the beach and the promenade in Brighton on Tuesday.
One bystander added: “They were on horseback on the beach and there were quite a few people watching on with interest.
“Then they dismounted and went onto the promenade where they started taking up these inappropriate poses for the camera.
“They were sticking their bottoms out and looking back at the camera in an inviting way – it was so, so wrong.”
The University of Brighton’s website said the team captain “raised more than a few eyebrows among beach bathers.”
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Millie Edwards, a first-year student, said: “How could they be so gullible? It sends out completely the wrong message to other girls.
“Why would they want to do a sexually-suggestive and risqué photo shoot anyway? It doesn’t make sense.”
“The Equestrian Society already has a dreadful reputation on campus of being full of posh girls without much between their ears and this won’t do anything to dispel that image.”
The team is taking part in this weekend’s National Universities Championship at DALLAS Burston Polo Club in Leamington Spa along with 50 other universities.
Team president, Luke Sandys-Renton, defended the decision: “We have had a great year and I wanted to end it with a really exciting photo, as a memento for all team members and supporters.
“Since October when I started the team, we have seen 25-plus people participate through the year, across all riding abilities.
“We have the attitude that the most important thing about the team is its accessibility and making everyone fell welcome when they participate whether this is competitively or just for fun.”
A spokesman for the University of Brighton refused to comment on the photo shoot, saying they had received no complaints from students or the public.
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