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A university football team has sparked outrage after players were allegedly told to target girls with low self-steem because they were “easier to have sex with”.

Cardiff University Football Club members also allegedly made light of domestic violence and rape during a social event.

The club has now been suspended for two weeks and barred from the annual Varsity contest with Swansea University over the controversy, Wales Online reports.

A presentation given at a joint social with a dance society in a Cardiff pub allegedly saw football club members told to target girls with low self-esteem as they were “easier to have sex with”.

One member of society Funky A**e Dancing, who was present at the event, told student newspaper Gair Rhydd: “It was totally unacceptable. All of the girls were forced to the front to watch a PowerPoint which made light of girls with low self-esteem, spiking girls’ drinks, domestic violence and even rape.”

The Students’ Union, which received an official complaint about the presentation, given in the Vulcan Lounge in Cathays, Cardiff, on November 6, has suspended the club from all training and competitive action for two weeks.

A letter sent to the football team’s committee by Steve Wilford, director of membership services at the union, said there could be “no justification” for the presentation".

The letter, sent on behalf of Cardiff University Sport, students’ union, and athletic union, said they were “shocked by the revelations” of what had happened and there were “no mitigating circumstances”.

“The content of the presentation, delivered by senior members of the club who are role models to younger or newer members, should never have been delivered, irrespective of audience and location. It is equally concerning that it appears that this is not the first time this has been delivered.”

The incident indicated a culture of “promoted misconduct” within the club, the letter added.

The club has apologised and removed the individuals involved, while those responsible have been banned from university sport venues.

The football club, which has more than 150 members playing for eight sides, will be reinstated to the Varsity contest if it complies with demands to train members in equality and campaign for diversity in sports clubs.

A Cardiff University spokesman said the institution “strongly condemns” any conduct demeaning women, adding: “This marked a gross breach of the University’s Student Code, the Athletic Union’s Behavioural Code and fell short of basic respect and decency.”