When will Ilona Maher make her Premiership Women’s Rugby debut?
U.S. athlete Ilona Maher takes a picture at the USA House during the Paris 2024 Olympics on July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for USOPC)
Ilona Maher might be available to play for her team in the Premiership Women’s Rugby match against Gloucester-Hartpury on January 4. However, Bristol Bears' head coach Dave Ward cautioned that it would be unwise to hurry her return.
Maher has joined the Bears on a temporary basis as she aims to secure a spot on the USA Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 team.
The star of the sevens, who is the rugby player with the highest social media following, met her new teammates for the first time on Monday. She will be in Bristol for the week and will watch the Bears play against the Exeter Chiefs at Ashton Gate on Saturday.
"This Energy is Unstoppable" – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025
After the match, Maher will return to the United States with a workout plan created by her new team.
Ward and his coaching team will assess her when she comes back to Bristol in early January, after which they will determine if she should be part of the team for the West Country derby.
"She'll return to Bristol, I believe, either on New Year's Day or the day after. After that, we'll need to evaluate her situation," Ward mentioned on Tuesday.
"We'll be practicing on Thursday and Friday, and then we have a match against Gloucester on Sunday. If all goes well, she might be able to participate in that game."
"But it needs to be flawless. Let me be clear: it absolutely has to be completely impeccable."
"If that's not the case, we'll reassess her condition, and then of course, we have Exeter next Sunday or possibly Leicester the Saturday after that."
"We would be making a huge mistake to push her to return before she’s fully prepared."
After their match against league leaders Exeter this weekend, Bristol will welcome Sale Sharks to Shaftesbury Park on December 15. The following Saturday, they will head to StoneX Stadium to face Saracens.
If Maher isn't considered fit to join the team for the match against Gloucester-Hartpury, she might make her debut against Exeter at Sandy Park on January 12 or against Leicester Tigers at Shaftesbury Park six days later.
Maher's arrival has already energized the Bears on social media. The official Instagram account for the team saw its follower count nearly double to around 43,000 just hours after the news was shared.
The HSBC SVNS event in Perth is happening from January 24 to 26 at HBF Park. Get ready for an unforgettable rugby weekend in Western Australia with customizable travel packages that include both tickets and lodging. Purchase now or get more details.
