Following an exciting fall in the spotlight, USA Rugby star Ilona Maher is making her way back to the rugby pitch with Bristol Bears of Premiership Women's Rugby. Maher's shift to the fifteens pitch is an official bid for the USA Women's Eagles Rugby World Cup squad in 2025.
Maher and the USA Women's Sevens earned a historic bronze medal this summer during the Paris 2024 Olympic games, an achievement that has rocketed the program to new heights, on and off the pitch. Ilona has spent the time since Paris enjoying the medal win, and notably competing on Dancing With The Stars, where she finished runner up.
Back on the rugby pitch, Maher hopes to bring her talents and global spotlight to the fifteen game as the Women's Eagles look ahead to Rugby World Cup 2025 in England next August. The USA fell out of contention during the quarterfinal in the most recent Rugby World Cup, but are poised for a run next year following early qualification and promotion to WXV1 in 2024. With hopes of earning squad selection, Ilona takes up a three-month contract with Bristol to re-familiarize her 15s play – the discipline she first played in college at Quinnipiac University and earned two international caps during the 2021 Pacific Four Series.
Maher said via Bristol Bears, “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.”
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