A cheerleader fired for enthusiastically hugging a TV presenter, has won her job back.
Problems arose after New Zealand Breakers cheerleader Stacey Evans greeted her friend Andrew Mulligan, host of Prime sports show The Crowd Goes Wild, with a koala-like hug - using her arms and legs - at the basketball franchise's season media launch.
Breakers' bosses determined the hug was inappropriate for a Breaker Girl and gave Evans her marching orders - but they have since downgraded the disciplinary action to an official warning and have reinstated her in the cheer squad.
The problem with the hug appeared to have been that Evans left the ground. Said Mulligan: "She jumped up on me and gave me a hug like she usually does - because she's tiny."
Breakers commercial manager Richard Clarke said that was no excuse. "One of our cheerleaders was wrapping her legs around a member of the media," he told the Herald on Sunday. "Their role was to welcome everyone that came in. The way she did it wasn't appropriate.
"There are other ways to welcome a friend at a work function."
Evans is a respected physiotherapist who has worked with the Blues rugby team. The 24-year-old is also an experienced cheerleader and has been part of the Warriors' cheer squad.
To some it may appear cheerleaders are hired to be sexy, but Clarke took another view. "We don't hire cheerleaders to do sexy routines on court. We hire them to be dancers and ambassadors for our brand."
Evans is not the first Australasian cheerleader to have employment difficulties this year after contact with other people.
Three members of the Kittens, the cheerleaders for Sydney's Wests Tigers rugby league team, were earlier this year sacked for attending the 21st birthday party of the Tigers' New Zealand star Benji Marshall.
Kittens cheerleaders are not allowed to fraternise with players.
- additional reporting: NZPA
Cheerleader gets job back after 'inappropriate' hug
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