America’s top rugby player and “Dancing with Stars” runner-up, Ilona Maher, has made the move to the UK to play for the Bristol Bears.
After months of rumors that she might join the Premiership Women’s Rugby league, Maher made the announcement on Monday on her TikTok account. Although there were rumors in October that she was in negotiations with teams in Bristol or Gloucester, the season began while Maher was still competing on the well-known reality competition show “Dancing with the Stars.”
Last week, Maher and her partner, Alan Bersten, finished second in the Los Angeles-based event. Over the weekend, she posted from an airport on her route to London, adding to the rumors that her playing career was on the other side of the world.
However, in videos posted to her social media, Maher finally put an end to the rumors, declaring, “The Eagle has landed.”
“I’m looking forward to calling Bristol home as we gear up for the Rugby World Cup 2025 played here in England,” said Maher.
She continued by joking that one of the main reasons she was there was to “get a roast” after shooting the video.
Maher has over 3 million TikTok followers and 4 million Instagram followers. As the Covid pandemic prevented supporters and family members from attending in person, the 28-year-old athlete gained notoriety during the Tokyo Olympics by sharing amusing TikToks from the Olympic Village.
Since the Tokyo Games, Maher’s reputation has only grown because she was a member of the squad that won the United States’ first rugby championship in a century.
During the summer Olympics in Paris, her posts were closely monitored by fans. The 2024 Olympics saw the U.S. women’s team win bronze, which was the team’s highest-ever finish at the Games.
When Maher got back home, he accepted yet another challenge by agreeing to participate in “Dancing with the Stars.” She explained that it was something she was unfamiliar with and a show she used to watch with her family.
“I think I’m also doing it again to show that rugby players are so multidimensional,” Maher said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” in September. “We are beasts on the field, yet I am capable of being beautiful, dancing, and doing all of these things.
Maher struggled during the show’s weeks, and after a bad try at a jive, he once broke down in tears.Fans, however, voted for the Olympian week after week, applauding her for her bravery and tenacity.
She was also the first female celebrity on the show to dance with her partner.
When Maher’s fans learned that she would be joining the Bears, they were ecstatic, and her “DWTS” co-stars were among them.
“Let’s go!!!!!! I’m really pleased with you. And I’m excited to watch you succeed,” Bersten wrote on Maher’s Instagram.
The format of the Premiership Women’s Rugby League, which many people are accustomed to watching Maher play in, will also slightly alter. Although the league plays 15s, with 15 players per team, she usually plays rugby sevens, with seven players per team, as is the format at the Olympics.
In addition to having more players, the 15s matches are also much longer. While traditional rugby 15s is played in two 40-minute intervals, the smaller squad plays in two 7-minute halves.
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