USA Olympic rugby star signs with Bristol women's team

A USA rugby star has signed a three-month contract with the Bristol Bears, set to start in January 2025.

Ilona Maher, an Olympic medallist, is one of the most followed rugby players in the world with a social media audience of more than seven million, having taken the world by storm through her highly personable approach to content creation on Instagram and TikTok.

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Joining the Bears from the USA Eagles on a short-term basis, after securing a history-making victory at the Paris Olympics this summer, Ilona has her sights set on working alongside the south west team to earn a place in the USA squad for the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England — in which two quarter finals and both semi-finals will be played at Bristol's Ashton Gate Stadium.

Ilona is considered a versatile back in the sport, while also being able to play in the centre or wing position and made her international debut at the Paris Sevens tournament in 2018, before competing at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco in the same year and the Tokyo Olympic Games held in 2021.

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Head coach of the Bristol Bears women's team, Dave Ward, said 'This is a huge coup to be able to bring Ilona Maher to Bristol Bears on a short-term deal.

'She is one of the biggest names in women’s sport, let alone rugby, and we believe she will add real value to our programme on and off the field.

'Ilona is one of the standout stars in the sevens game and we can’t wait to see her play for Bears in XVs. 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.

'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.'

You can catch the Bears just across the border at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol, with the next fixture being against the Exeter Chiefs on Saturday 7 December 2024.