US rugby star Ilona Maher celebrates her first start for Bristol Bears with a try

By Canadian Press on January 12, 2025.

EXETER, England (AP) — U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher celebrated her first start for the Bristol Bears by powering over for a try in a 41-31 victory at the Exeter Chiefs on Sunday.

Maher, the most followed rugby player on social media, ran over half the field at Sandy Park and bumped off two tackles in a 55th-minute try made possible by her pace and power.

It was the winger’s second Premiership Women’s Rugby match in England.

“My teammates did the work to put me through and I had to get through a couple of defenders. I thought ‘Oh, this is sevens!’” Maher told TNT Sports. “I don’t go around them, always go through … Now it’s going to be figuring out when I have three people in front of me, how do I get through them?”

The 28-year-old Maher helped lead the U.S. to the bronze medal in rugby sevens at the Paris Games,

The Vermont native is returning to the 15-a-side game in hopes of boosting her chances of making the U.S. team for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England. She can play at wing or center.

Maher has more than 8 million followers combined on Instagram and TikTok. She also was a runner-up on the “Dancing With The Stars” TV show.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

The Associated Press