Stay or go, Ilona Maher has made an impact
Ilona Maher remains coy over future following Bristol Bears' huge 19-10 win over Harlequins in the PWR - 'I have to see where life takes me.'
It may have been Ilona Maher’s last outing as Bristol Bear, it may not have been. We may get the answer to that conundrum after Exeter Chiefs’ trip to Saracens. Or we may not.
Either way, Maher has made a huge impact in the Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) in three short months, and perhaps the biggest effect rugby has felt from a single individual in quite some time.
Bristol’s play-off fate is out of their hands, but they emboldened their chances with a huge 19-10 win over Harlequins at The Stoop. The star attraction in Twickenham on Friday evening was, of course, Maher, as it always is.
She is rugby’s most celebrious player, it’s most followed, most adored and loved. Her post-match tasks include satisfying the clamour of a horde of fans asking for pictures and autographs.
Even with World Rugby's Player of the Year Ellie Kildunne lining up across from her on Friday evening, her fanfare wholly eclipses the Quins fullback and frankly, everyone else.
In building a cult following on TikTok at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 while starring for the USA rugby sevens side, she shot herself into the alcove that straddled social media and women’s sport.
In 2024, her body-positive and empowerment image mixed with a humourous approach resonated even further with Gen Z and shot her into the mainstream.
Her new-found fame saw her compete on Dancing with the Stars, becoming not only the first rugby player on the show but the first female partner to lift her male partner.
But unlike athletes who receive a sudden injection of stardom, Maher knows that doing your talking on the pitch is still the most crucial factor. And so she targeted the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England this summer. It led her to Bristol, and while playing in six of Bristol’s last seven league matches, she’s scored four tries in total.
A win at The Stoop was vital for fourth-place Bears, and it put them seven points ahead of Exeter Chiefs, who have two games in hand over Bristol.
Chiefs travel to face Saracens at the StoneX Stadium and should they leave that game with anything less than two points, Bristol's efforts at The Stoop would not have been in vain.
Whether they secure a spot in the semis remains to be seen, but an immediate and obvious downside of Bristol not reaching the play-offs, would be that fans might have already seen star signing Ilona Maher step out on to their pitch for the last time.
"I think there's relief," Maher said on TNT Sports following the Bears' win. "We have more to do. Hopefully now, depending on other results, we have two more games to go and I think we've proved that we're meant to be in that semi-final."
The American has used her influence to smash PWR attendance records as she acclimated to life in the 15-a-side game before the Women's Rugby World Cup in England this summer.
"It's been really amazing," she added. "What's so special is the women, they are truly some of the most welcoming. From the first week I was here I felt like I was part of the team, and you don't get that in a lot of teams. They treated me like an equal and I really felt like I was part of it.
"I'm learning so much, I just wanted to prepare myself as best as I can for the USA and I think this is a great environment to do it. But I still have so much more to learn, and when you have a game each week there's just so much else you've got to know."
Maher is at Ashton Gate on a three-month deal as she looks to improve her chances of selection for the USA, but she has made an instant impact in the league.
Her first game against Gloucester-Hartpury attracted a crowd of over 9,000, setting a new record attendance for the club and for a standalone PWR game. That fixture had to be moved from Shaftesbury Park to Ashton Gate to accommodate an unprecedented demand for tickets.
Bears’ home match against Leicester Tigers also had to be moved to Ashton Gate, and it gives a slight insight into the potential fanfare Maher could whip up when the Rugby World Cup begins in England this summer.
"It's just so cool," she said about attracting more fans to games. "If I'm what gets them in the door, awesome, but I hope they get to see the rugby being played and come back for the next game and the next season when I'm not playing. So I love that they're coming for me, I just hope they stay."
While the Rugby World Cup is her main target, Maher kept the door open for a potential return to Bristol and the PWR.
Maher said: "I have to see where life takes me. I think I'm trying to build something here for myself and my own brand and if it's here, then I love that."
This article has been abridged from an article originally written by me, for TNT Sports/Eurosport.
I've never heard of her, but hey ho, good luck to the girls who want to play rugby. I have zero interest in women's rugby. But I understand it's appeal, and the involvement of the women's game increases rugby's bandwidth. Administrators see it as an easy way to grow participation.