Inside Ilona Maher's move from Hollywood to England as she returns from DWTS to be the face of rugby
Share:
The presence of American broadcasters is not a common sight at English club rugby press conferences, but the CNN cameras were rolling at a packed Bristol Bears media gathering on Wednesday as the sport's highest-profile superstar held court. 'Hello everyone,' said Ilona Maher, entering the room with her arms raised wide. 'I was expecting an applause.'.
![[The US icon is fresh from finishing second on the most recent series of Dancing With The Stars]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/15/16/94127663-14288563-image-a-2_1736958624446.jpg)
For 40 minutes, the USA ace was the center of attention. She is used to that. Maher – rugby's most followed player on social media – is daring the sport she plays to change. In just a matter of weeks with Bristol, she has taken England's Premiership Women's Rugby to a whole new level.
![[Maher takes photos with fans after making her debut for Bristol Bears earlier this month]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/15/16/94127659-14288563-image-a-3_1736958627687.jpg)
Maher has 8million followers on Instagram and TikTok combined, more than Siya Kolisi and Antoine Dupont – who are the biggest names in the men's game – put together. She is, undoubtedly, a force for good for a game struggling to find its place in sporting society both on these shores and around the globe.
![[The Olympic medalist is the face of multiple brand and insists she is 'more than a rugby player']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/15/16/94127665-14288563-image-a-4_1736958631540.jpg)
'We're a very stoic sport,' Maher said. 'There is a culture in rugby we need to shift. It's an amazing sport, but also an old sport where the same things have been happening for years. We keep talking about getting young people into the game. Those people are online. We have to shift our mindset if the sport is going to evolve.
![[Maher waves to the home crowd after the Bears moved to a bigger stadium for the game]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/15/16/94127667-14288563-image-a-5_1736958635757.jpg)
Ilona Maher has swapped Hollywood for England to play for the Bears in women's rugby. The US icon is fresh from finishing second on the most recent series of Dancing With The Stars. 'For women, our contracts are to play on the field. But that's also not going to make you have a comfortable living. That's why we have to do more off the field.
