Ilona Maher: The Female Rugby Star Breaking Barriers
At the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Ilona Maher added another achievement to her impressive list. This year, the athlete has conquered new horizons, from her participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to her outstanding performance in “Dancing With The Stars”. In addition, she has become a sensation on social media, even surpassing Taylor Swift in views on TikTok.
Her most recent achievement was at the ESPYS, where she was nominated for the Best Breakthrough Athlete award, the first time a rugby player, male or female, had been considered. And to crown her success, she won the award!
It took me seven years and two Olympics, but I finally did it. It’s something incredible.
Ilona Maher
But Maher not only celebrates his personal successes; he also has an important message to share. And it’s a call to action.
Attention, this year the Women’s Rugby World Cup is being held. Watch it! Tune in!
Ilona Maher
The Women’s Rugby World Cup, which kicks off this Friday with the match between the United States and England, will see 16 teams fight for the top prize. It is expected to be the edition with the highest attendance and visibility in its 34-year history. Maher’s presence as the image of the competition and the impact of his words are crucial.
Just three days after shining on the red carpet in Los Angeles and receiving her ESPY, Maher returned to the rugby field to play in front of a record crowd against Fiji in Washington D.C. This duality, which shows her comfortable both in front of the cameras and on social media, is the essence of Maher and the United States Eagles.
Their goal is clear: to bring rugby to the masses.
It’s funny that it’s the most important match of the group stage, even though we’re ranked number 10 in the world. This is due to what we’ve done off the field. We are agents of change. That’s what we’re bringing to the World Cup.
Ilona Maher
The numbers show it: 15,198 fans attended the match against Fiji, largely thanks to Maher’s popularity. If he manages to attract a fraction of his 8.8 million followers on Instagram and TikTok to the matches, they will be on their way to achieving their goal.
A Global Star of Women’s Rugby
United States, known as “The Eagles”, knows that performance is paramount. But sport is also about entertainment, especially when trying to attract new fans. After a disappointing tournament in 2022, when they were eliminated in the quarterfinals, the United States seeks success on and off the field.
Maher is a pioneer, without a doubt. No other player has had the impact that she has had on the game. She is the global star that women’s rugby needs and has arrived at the perfect moment.
In men’s rugby, Jonah Lomu is still talked about, the All Blacks legend who helped popularize rugby. Those who are not rugby fans knew Jonah, everyone knew Jonah.
There is a possibility that within 30 years, Maher will be spoken of similarly in terms of women’s play, in terms of how she changed the perception of this sport.Part of Maher’s ambition is to encourage others to show their personality on social media, or as they wish. To be vulnerable and expose themselves. Only then, Maher believes, will the women’s game truly grow.
Maher, 28, is also a force on the field. After helping the United States secure bronze in rugby sevens at last year’s Paris Olympics, Maher turned his attention to the 15-a-side code and the World Cup. He joined the English club Bristol Bears earlier this year to get back into action. The demand to see her was so great that the Bears had to move their home games to a larger stadium while Maher was in town.
In a difficult group with England, Australia, and Samoa to compete against, the Eagles will need almost everything to go their way to reach the knockout stage.
Captain Kate Zackary, a veteran of two World Cups, has paved the way. Her goal is the semi-finals. Everyone likes to see them win. They want to be bold in all aspects of the game.
Everyone is watching women’s rugby now. You can’t look anywhere without finding it, can you?
Zackary
Zackery is also adopting Maher’s view that more players will boost the game and be boisterous about women’s sports.
The Eagles’ goal is to regain dominance in women’s rugby, a sport they dominated in the 90s. Currently, the American team faces a difficult group, but with the talent and determination of Maher and her teammates, they aim to reach the semi-finals.In the 2025 World Cup, fly-half McKenzie Hawkins’ role will be crucial. Her coach, Sione Fukofuka, has placed his trust in her, and Hawkins is ready to prove her worth.
Yes, it’s a great responsibility. I feel very fortunate to be in that position. I also know that it can disappear like that. So I think that, for me, I try to be very present and I know that with this job comes a lot of responsibility and I try to walk in those shoes as best as I can every day.
