Nude Suits, Pranks + Dance Offs: What It's Like To Be A Community Cup Cheerleader

The 26th instalment of the Reclink Community Cup– the scorching on-field clash between the Young & Jackson Rockdogs and Triple R 102.7FM & PBS 106.7FM Megahertz and the biggest fundraising event in Reclink’s calendar – is creeping up fast, storming into Victoria Park, Abbotsford on Sunday 19 June.

This year’s cup boasts an electrifying musical lineup with Cash Savage and the Last Drinks, Private Function, Ausecuma Beats, Parnsip and Izy all set to conquer the main stage, while elsewhere the Megahertz and Rockdogs teams are jam packed with your favourite radio presenters and iconic musicians.  

Despite the glitz and glamour of the bands and the Megahertz and Rockdogs teams, it’s undoubtedly the team cheerleaders who take the trophy for being the unsung heroes of each Community Cup.

To celebrate the approaching Cup, we sat down withBlonde Jovi from The Real Hot Bitches (Megahertz Cheersquad)andFlirty Harry from The Rockdogs Cheersquad, who coughed up the goss on what it’s really like to be a Community Cup Cheerleader.

Blonde Jovi:“The Real Hot Bitches are a bunch of lycra-lovin’ ‘80s dance troupe performers. In 2013 one of the troupes who played in the Megahertz asked us to be their cheer-bitches, and from that day on, The Reclink Community Cup became our favourite gig of the year.”

Flirty Harry: “Everyone in the Rockdogs cheersquad are local musicians, DJs, and bartenders at Melbourne's most beloved venues, including Cherry Bar (the cheersquad's spiritual home), and FeeFee's Bar.”

BJ: “Being cheer-bitches allows us to experience all kinds of special things. We get to meet our local heroes in the changerooms, and once danced on stage with The Peep Tempel which was an absolute highlight. One year the legends from Bitch Diesel stripped out of their Megaz uniforms halfway through the match to reveal nude suits, complete with stitched-on boobs and pubes, and ran onto the field in a faux streak. It was my job to run after them filming.”

FH: In 2019 we wore gold hotpants under our dresses to preserve our modesty during all those high kicks, splits, and conga lines. After a particularly enthusiastic cheer, our cheerleader Boffa went to move on, only to notice her hotpants had abandoned their post and were resting around her ankles. To this day, at each training session someone will say “remember when Boffa's pants fell off?".

BJ: “It’s not all fun and glamour. For our debut at Elsternwick Park, we did some pre-game practice at the side of the oval, not realising the hill above us was the unofficial men’s toilet so we were essentially getting peed on. Also, we may look super-hot on that field, but trust me, we are COLD. And even though we think we’re the real stars of the day, sometimes we can’t even get into the after parties because they think we’re on a hen’s night.”    

FH: “Our 2019 Community Cup was the coldest day in June in 25 years - the temperature didn't get higher than 9 degrees. This was also the year we wore short sleeves and short shorts. To combat the cold we filled our change room with heaters and hairdryers, and stampeded for our jackets between laps to try and warm up.”

BJ: “Next to the Rockdog’s polished uniforms and well-rehearsed routines we come off rag-tag and shambolic, but the crowd seems to love our chaos and DIY outfits. Not content with simply looking hot in red and white lycra, we level up the costumes and props every year, but no matter how creative we get, someone inevitably asks if we’re on our way to a Where’s Wally convention.”

FH: “We have trained every Tuesday night at Cherry Bar for four weeks perfecting our moves and planning surprises for the day. We also have new costumes this year – we love all our costumes, but we think these might just be the best so far – Keep your eyes peeled. Also, this year we will be incorporating Auslan into one of our cheers for the first time. We want everyone to feel included and seen during the festivities.”

BJ:“There’s a long-running, tongue-in-cheek rivalry between the two cheersquads, often involving a dance battle when we cross paths on the field. One year we hid stickers that said, "I love Megaz" in our sleeves and socks, and every time we passed the Rockdogs we patted them on the back saying, "good job!" but really, we were putting the stickers on them.

“It’s all in fun though, on one occasion players and cheerleaders from both sides united in a half-time flash mob that was complete chaos, but a beautiful reflection of the fact that when it comes down to it, we are all there for the same reason; coming together to support community and raise funds for programs that improve the lives of those experiencing hardship. I’m proud to be a Real Hot Mega, but no matter which team scores the points, everyone’s a winner on the day.”