U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher is set to make her first start for the Bristol Bears on January 12 at the Exeter Chiefs.

U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher has made her debut for the Bristol Bears women’s team in front of a record home crowd of 9,240.

Ilona Maher will make first Bristol Bears start vs Exeter on Sunday in Premiership Womens Rugby; Last week she came off the bench vs Gloucester-Hartpury in front of record crowd of 9,240; Maher is the most followed rugby player in the world on social media,

Olympic rugby bronze medalist Ilona Maher made her debut on the pitch in England on Sunday, Jan. 5 — and it resulted in the Bristol Bears having to change stadiums to accommodate her fans.

With over eight million social media followers and a Reese Witherspoon production following her, Maher is attracting a global audience

From the Olympics to DWTS to Ashton Gate Stadium, Ilona Maher is on a roll. The American Bronze Medalist has signed a three-month contract with the Bristol Bears ahead of the 2025 Rugby World Cup. Maher kicks off her Bears journey with a match against reigning Premiership Women’s Rugby champions Gloucester-Hartpury this Sunday,

Ticket sales have broken a record ahead of U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher making her debut for the Bristol Bears women’s team.