Ilona Maher is gearing up to compete for Team USA for the first time since the Paris Olympics. As the American prepares to compete in the rugby 15s event, she recently shared a glimpse of her roster pictures with a hilarious message.
Over the course of the past few years, Maher has become the best known face of rugby across the globe. The 28-year-old first found fame during the Tokyo Olympics, where she shared glimpses of an athlete’s life in the Olympic village with fans. During the 2024 Games, her popularity skyrocketed after she led Team USA to a historic bronze medal in the rugby sevens event.
Since the Paris Olympics, Maher has been busy with several different adventures, including a stint on season 33 of Dancing With The Stars. Now, Ilona Maher is finally returning to the rugby field to compete for Team USA. As she gears up for her matches, she shared a roster picture on Instagram, captioning it,
“Description: USA Rugby player rolls out of bed to take roster pictures and doesn’t even run a brush through her hair.”
Earlier this year, Maher competed in the Premiership Women’s League, which marked her first rugby 15s outing in several years. Playing for the Britsol Bears, the American delivered impressive performances, scoring five tries in eight matches.
Ilona Maher reflects on being hailed as a rugby superstar
Since the Paris Olympics, Ilona Maher has been hailed as a superstar of the rugby world. In January, she was the reason behind multiple attendance records in the PWR, and she has brought thousands of new fans to the sport.
Reflecting on her status, Maher told The Telegraph that the pressure could be difficult to manage, and she hoped to have other ‘superstars of rugby’ with her, saying,
“At times I feel like I’m being wrung dry, because rugby is trying to get as much out of me as possible. I love it, but sometimes I get tired. I’m like, ‘Man, we got to have more faces of rugby.’ People have been calling me the ‘superstar of rugby’. I love that, I think that’s awesome, but we need to have more superstars coming up because we want people to come to the games.”
For now, the Ilona Maher effect is continuing in full swing. By being named to the USA squad, the 28-year-old has already helped the team set attendance records. The upcoming USA vs Canada match of the Pacific Four Series, where Maher will be in action, has sold 7,500 tickets, where the previous record stood at 2,145.
alt=”Riddhi Acharya” height=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Riddhi Acharya
