Everything To Know About Ilona Maher, From The Olympic Rugby 7s To DWTS
Everything To Know About Ilona Maher, From The Olympic Rugby 7s To DWTS
An international rugby sensation, Ilona Maher has dominated as an athlete and social media influencer. Here's how she did it.
Emerging as one of the most recognizable rugby stars in the world, Ilona Maher has made a name for herself at just 28-years-old as an Olympic athlete, Dancing With the Stars contestant and social media influencer.
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Maher's most recent endeavor is assisting the USA Women's Eagles rugby squad in making it to the Women's Rugby World Cup as part of the Pacific Four Series.
While the Women's Eagles have yet to win a match this season, there still are plenty of opportunities for Maher and her teammates to shine.
While Maher's presence has drawn a massive audience no matter what team she represents, many fans might not know how she came to fame.
Here's everything to know about Ilona Maher:
Ilona Maher's Early Rugby Career
Maher began her journey to rugby glory at Quinnipiac University, where she earned All-America honors and led her team to three National Intercollegiate Rugby Association titles.
In 2017, her efforts were further recognized when she received the MA Sorenson Award, given to the best women’s rugby player in collegiate athletics.
The following year, Maher made her international rugby debut at the Paris Sevens tournament, before moving on to the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco to represent the United States.
She later returned to the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa, where the United States reached the semifinals.
Ilona Maher Is A Two-Time Olympian
Maher was invited to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021 to represent Team USA in women’s rugby in the sport’s second year. She scored three tries throughout the tournament, and Team USA finished in sixth place.
In 2023, Maher suffered a broken fibula, but she recovered just in time to make it to the 2024 Paris Olympics to represent Team USA once again.
She scored a try in all three of the team’s group-stage matches and helped bring the United States to the semifinals, where the squad lost to New Zealand.
Maher and Team USA defeated Australia to receive the bronze medal, the team’s first medal since joining the Olympics.
Ilona Maher Was On 'Dancing With The Stars'
In September 2024, Maher was brought on to the reality TV show “Dancing with the Stars” as a celebrity guest for Season 33.
She was partnered with Alan Bersten and became the first female participant on the show to lift her male counterpart. The pair reached the final round but came in second place.
ilona & alan’s dwts journey in a gif pic.twitter.com/J4hxL4geNa
— sam (@berstcns) November 27, 2024
Ilona Maher's Social Media Presence
Maher has amassed a large social media following ever since she began posting behind-the-scenes content of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on her TikTok page.
She has since become an influencer advocating for body positivity and bringing light to women’s sports. She is the most followed rugby player on Instagram and is a co-founder of the skincare brand, Medalist.
In August 2024, Maher was shown on the cover of the swimsuit edition for Sports Illustrated and has since announced that she will return to the magazine in 2025.
Ilona Maher Played For The Bristol Bears In Her Premiership Stint
This year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup is set to begin in August, but Maher trained in her first 15-on-15 league this spring in preparation. Maher competed with the Bristol Bears, a Premiership women’s rugby league based in England.
She signed a three-month contract in December and finished her time with the Bears in March following a 40-17 home loss to Gloucester-Hartpury.
How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby
FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to:
FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.