Fans flock to see Ilona Maher as US star makes Bristol Bears debut in 40-17 defeat against Premiership champions Gloucester-Hartpury

Ilona Maher admitted nerves played a role as she made her long-awaited Bristol Bears debut in front of a record crowd.

The second-half substitute couldn’t change the outcome – Ashton Gate’s 40-17 defeat by Premier League champions Gloucester-Hartpury – but still proved a huge hit.

American fullback Maher has more than 8 million followers on Instagram and TikTok, making her the most followed rugby player in the world.

Her presence alone generated a record crowd of 9,240 in Bristol for a women’s match, with the 28-year-old making a 20-minute cameo from the bench.

She spent more than an hour signing autographs and posing for photos afterwards – some fans came from Kentucky and Washington – and underlined the impact she will make during her three-month stay in the West Country.

“I was definitely very nervous,” Maher said. ‘But I wanted to make my teammates proud and show that I deserved to be there. Once I got on the pitch I felt like, “Okay, this is rugby”, it’s something I’ve done for the last ten years, it’s in my blood.

American back Maher has more than eight million followers on Instagram and TikTok

“Once I got there, I was pretty calm.”

Maher made her presence felt in a few rucks and looked for work off the wing, but was unable to make much of an impact as Gloucester-Hartpury dominated.

Maher won bronze with the United States at the Olympic Sevens in Paris, but has not played 15-on-1 since 2021.

She hopes to re-familiarize herself with the format in a bid to make selection for the US squad that will travel to this year’s England-hosted World Cup.

“It’s very different from Sevens,” Maher (right) added. ‘Sevens is a battle and 15s is a war. It was tough out there. For me, I was just trying to watch and understand.

‘I think I’m going to learn more and more every match and by losing you learn a lot, but it also puts a fire under you for the next match.’

Bristol’s Instagram followers have increased from 21,000 to 67,000 since her signing.

She rose to fame on social media by combining messages of body positivity and female empowerment with her sharp sense of humour, while also coming second on Dancing with the Stars, the US version of Strictly Come Dancing.

Maher became runner-up on Dancing with the Stars, the American counterpart of Strictly Come Dancing

Maher was a huge star at the Olympics and has now taken her talents to the Bristol Bears

“I just tried to promote the game as much as I could,” she said.

“To get 9,240 people there, that’s so cool. You see that the level of women’s rugby is getting better and better every year.

‘It is very important for me to get in touch with them. They are not only the next generation of rugby players, but also the next generation of fans.

‘The nice thing was that there were a lot of women. Women have power, women have influence and they are a good fan base.”