US rugby star Ilona Maher eyes Bristol debut as ticket sales break club record
Ticket sales have broken a record before American rugby star Ilona Maher made her debut for the Bristol Bears women’s team.
However, the Olympic bronze medalist will not be in the starting line-up when the Bears take on defending champions Gloucester-Hartpury on Sunday in a Premiership Women’s Rugby match that has moved from a smaller venue to Ashton Gate to meet seating demand.
Bristol’s matchday line-up announced on Friday includes 28-year-old Maher on the bench – the American only returned to England on New Year’s Day.
“I don’t care if it’s freezing, come out and support some great rugby,” Maher wrote on Instagram before the line-up was released.
Maher, who helped the US to the bronze medal in rugby sevens at the Paris Games, signed a three-month contract starting this week. She had started training with Bristol in December when the team announced the signing before returning to the United States for the holidays.
The signing of Maher, the “world’s most followed rugby player”, immediately boosted Bristol’s ticket sales. Nearly 8,000 fans are expected to attend on Sunday, breaking the previous attendance record for a Bristol women’s home match of 4,101 against Harlequins in May 2022.
Maher has more than 8 million followers combined on Instagram and TikTok. She was second on the TV show Dancing With The Stars.
The Vermont native returns to the 15-a-side competition in hopes of boosting her chances of making the U.S. team for the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England. She can play on the wing or in the middle.
Bristol, currently in fifth place, lost to Gloucester-Hartpury 36-24 last season.
Record attendance on Sunday will be a “huge” help, Bears coach Dave Ward said.
“For the [players] to reach so many people, I think it could be great,” he said. “The sound can be creative and drive us forward when we are on the front foot, but also on the back foot when it comes to our defensive efforts.”
Leading Harlequins said they set a women’s club rugby record on December 28 when 18,055 fans watched the team beat Leicester Tigers 42-17 at Twickenham Stadium. That wasn’t an isolated match; it was part of a doubleheader with the Harlequins men’s team.