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The London School of Economics today launched an urgent inquiry after its rugby club handed out leaflets referring to women as slags, mingers and crumpets.

The university, ranked 34th best in the world, pledged to discipline those found to have made misogynistic or homophobic slurs, as other students called for compulsory sexual harassment classes to be introduced.

The university was bombarded with complaints after the leaflets were handed out to prospective new rugby society members at the freshers’ fair on Friday.

Part of leaflet apparently handed out today by the #LSE men's rugby club to freshers. Way to make women feel welcome. pic.twitter.com/UxwzXWpAjJ — Bad Housekeeping (@bad_housekeeper) October 3, 2014

They urged players to “do your utmost to pull a sloppy bird”, while a glossary of LSE rugby vocabulary said that the term “gary”, means “to chat up a trollop, Eg ‘I’m putting in the ‘gary groundwork’ with this netball slag.”

The leaflets also stated that “homosexual debauchery” would not be tolerated, and said female sports players are “beast-like women who play sports just so they can come out with us on Wednesdays.”

Students complained directly to LSE director Craig Calhoun, and to the Students’ Union and the university.

Both the Students’ Union and the university have launched inquiries.

Michelle Warbis, a Masters student in urban planning at LSE, told the Evening Standard: “I can’t believe there are people at LSE - some of the smartest people in the country - who still think writing things like this is OK.

“It is so absurd. They are so educated and yet so uneducated at the same time. There should be severe and drastic action taken.”

Ms Warbis, a member of the LSE feminist society, said men in sports teams should be given compulsory sexual harassment classes. Some colleges at the University of Cambridge have instructed freshers to attend sexual consent workshops as they arrive for their first term, and Oxford is reported to be following suit.

Other students called for those behind the leaflets to be barred from playing sport for the university.

A spokesman for LSE said: “LSE has received complaints that a group of students has been distributing offensive leaflets which include unacceptable misogynistic and homophobic slurs. This incident is being investigated as a matter of priority.

“The School values its culture of diversity and tolerance; and seeks to uphold the highest possible standards of openness and respect.

Should the behaviour of any individuals or groups be found to have fallen short of those standards, disciplinary action will be taken.”

Nona Buckley-Irvine, general secretary of the LSE student union said the union received “numerous” complaints.

A spokeswoman for the Union said it will look into the “deeper cultural concerns” about discrimination within the athletics union, as well as carrying out a full investigation.

The men’s rugby club today apologised for the “inexcusably offensive and stigmatising language”.

In a statement it said: “We can see that the language used in that leaflet must have alienated many potential members and we are ashamed and saddened by that.

“As a club, we will be taking steps to ensure that something like this cannot happen again. We have a lot to learn about the pernicious effects of ‘banter’ and we are organising a workshop for all our members.”