Ilona Maher Signs Deal With Bristol Bears of PWR
HAMDEN, Conn. – Ilona Maher, a former star player for the Quinnipiac Women's Rugby team, has officially joined the Bristol Bears on a professional contract for the rest of the Premiership Women's Rugby season. Both Maher and the club announced the news on Instagram.
Maher will be signing with the Bristol Bears for a three-month contract beginning in January.
Maher recently played for Team USA in Rugby Sevens at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He helped the team secure their first medal in rugby sevens history by beating Australia 14-12 in the bronze medal match on Tuesday, July 30.
Maher started her international career at the Paris Sevens tournament in 2018. She then took part in the Rugby World Cup Sevens later that year, which was held in San Francisco, and went on to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which took place in 2021.
"Now, the world will have the opportunity to see Ilona shine on the global stage, which means we won’t have to wait four years to see her in action," stated Becky Carlson, the head coach of Quinnipiac Women's Rugby. "The Olympics offered us a glimpse of her talent in rugby sevens, but playing for Bristol in fifteens is a completely different experience. Bristol has gained a whole new group of supporters, and the Bobcats are excited for Lo as she embarks on this next chapter."
The native of Burlington, Vermont, played a key role in guiding the Bobcats to three consecutive NIRA national titles in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Bristol highlighted Maher as the rugby player with the largest social media following globally, boasting 4.5 million followers on Instagram and an additional 3.2 million on TikTok. Recently, she participated in Dancing with the Stars, where Maher and her partner Alan Bersten secured second place.
The Bristol Bears are a professional rugby union team located in Bristol, England. They participate in Premiership Women's Rugby, which is the highest level of women's rugby union in the country.
Established in 1984, Bristol Bears has a much longer history compared to many of its rivals. They compete in games at Shaftesbury Park and Ashton Gate, the latter of which has a capacity of 27,000 and also serves as the venue for Bristol City FC matches.
The Bears are one of six teams that have participated in every season of Premiership Women's Rugby since it started in 2017-18. Although they haven't won a league title yet, they came close last year, finishing as runners-up to Gloucester after a 36-24 defeat in the championship final.
To learn more about the Quinnipiac women's rugby team, follow them on Instagram at @QURugby or check out their website at www.gobobcats.com/womens-rugby.
