England’s BristonOn Sunday, U.S. rugby player Ilona Maher made her debut for the women’s Bristol Bears squad in front of a record 9,240 spectators at home.
However, in a Premiership Women’s Rugby match, Bristol lost 40-17 to defending champion Gloucester-Hartpury, despite Maher, the most followed rugby player in the world, being unable to stop the loss.
At Ashton Gate, with Bristol behind 28-10, she entered as a substitute in the 61st minute. Maher sought for work off the wing and made an impression in a few rucks, but in her 20 minutes on the field, she was unable to significantly affect the overall outcome.
4,101 people attended the Bristol women’s home game versus the Harlequins in May 2022, which was the previous attendance record. In order to meet demand for seats, Bristol moved the match from a lesser stadium to Ashton Gate because of the excitement around Maher’s debut.
Maher, 28, has agreed to a three-month contract with Bristol in southwest England. Maher helped led the United States to the bronze medal in rugby sevens at the Paris Games. Before returning to the United States for the holidays, she had started training with Bristol in December, when the team made the contract official.
Together, Maher’s Instagram and TikTok followings total over 8 million. On the television program Dancing With the Stars, she placed second.
In an attempt to increase her prospects of reaching the U.S. squad for the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England, the Vermont native is returning to the 15-a-side game. She can play center or wing.
Bristol added that the attendance set a Premiership record for a stand-alone match. When the league-leading Harlequins defeated the Leicester Tigers 42–17 at Twickenham Stadium on December 28, 18,055 spectators attended, setting a new attendance record for women’s club rugby. It was a doubleheader with the Harlequins men’s team, not a stand-alone game.
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