Bristol Bears Women have just taken their brand into another stratosphere with the signing of global icon Ilona Maher for the second half of the season.
It’s an old adage that no one player is bigger than the club, but in an ever-changing world of social media influencers that simply isn’t true anymore. USA Eagles star Maher, who transferred her success and popularity on the pitch to find a wider audience on hit US TV show Dancing with the Stars this year, simply dwarfs the club in terms of reach and popularity online. In fact Maher is the most followed rugby union player in the world, with 4.5 million Instagram followers and 3.2 million on TikTok.
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To put that in context, the most followed players in the men’s game on Instagram are South Africa’s double World Cup winning captain Siya Kolisi and former All Black Sonny Bill Williams, who both have are 1.3 million followers, while the Bears’ Women account have a mere 40,000. With the women’s game still fighting for eye-balls and column inches, Maher and her magnetic personality will bring provide a boost in the arm to the PWR ahead of England hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025.
The 28-year-old Olympic bronze medallist has arrived in the West Country with immediate effect to meet her new teammates and begin training this week, before heading home until the New Year. She has signed a three-month contract until the end of the PWR season. Maher joins the Bears with her sights set on earning a place in the USA squad for next year’s World Cup, with two quarter finals and both semi-finals taking place at Ashton Gate.
The versatile back, who can operate at centre and wing, made her international debut at the 2018 Paris Sevens tournament and from there, competed at the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 on home soil in San Francisco and later the Tokyo 2020 Olympics held in 2021, and Paris 2024 Olympics. A now two-time Olympian, earned an invite to the Women’s Eagles fifteens camp in 2021, making her official debut against Canada during the Pacific Four Series in Glendale, CO.
Bristol head coach, 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.”
Maher said: “I am excited to join the Bristol Bears and put myself in the best position to earn a spot to represent USA in the 2025 Rugby World Cup alongside such a talented and driven group as the Bears.”