Ilona Maher: US rugby star joins the UK's Bristol Bears
3 December 2024, 08:23 | Updated: 3 December 2024, 10:29
US rugby star Ilona Maher is moving to the UK to join the Bristol Bears.
The rugby sevens player, who boasts 3.3 million followers on TikTok and 4.6 million on Instagram, announced her move to the Premiership Women's Rugby league on Monday in a video filmed in Ashton Gate Stadium, the home of the Bears.
"I'm looking forward to calling Bristol home as we gear up for the Rugby World Cup 2025 played here in England," Maher said.
She went on to joke about the cold weather and if she could "get a roast" after recording the video, saying it was a big reason she was there.
The 28-year-old shot to fame during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics when she posted regular videos on social media from the Olympic Village as the COVID pandemic restricted fans and family members from in-person spectating.
Maher continued filming amusing content during the Paris games over the summer, where she won a bronze, helping the women's rugby sevens team win the US its first rugby medal in 100 years, albeit with a 92 year hiatus for the sport at the Olympics.
Her social media presence has meant she is the most followed rugby player online in the world.
By comparison, France star Antoine Dupont, who some consider the greatest men's rugby union player ever and is among the most famous current players in the men's game, only has around 1.1 million Insta followers and 171,000 X followers.
Bristol Bears head coach Dave Ward described Maher as "one of the biggest names in women's sport" who "will add real value" to the West Country team.
"Her ability ball in hand will give our attack a new dimension and her desire to star in the Rugby World Cup in England next summer is a huge driving force for her to achieve great things at Bears," he said.
"Her profile as an athlete to inspire the next generation aligns exactly with ours as a club and we can only applaud the work she has and will do for the women's game."
The Bears said Maher has already arrived in Bristol to begin training but will go home to the States for Christmas before returning to the UK in the new year.
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The Women's Rugby World Cup is set to take place across the UK from August next year.
Maher's move to the UK comes after she came runner-up in Dancing With The Stars - the US version of Strictly Come Dancing - which ended last week.
She told ABC's Good Morning America that she appeared on the reality dancing show to prove "rugby players are multidimensional".
(c) Sky News 2024: Ilona Maher: US rugby star joins the UK's Bristol Bears
