Rugby star Maher draws record crowd on debut

United States rugby sevens star and social media sensation Ilona Maher made her eagerly anticipated debut for Bristol Bears in the English women's Premiership on Jan 5 but could not prevent defeat for her new side.

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The versatile American back, who won Olympic bronze at the 2024 Paris Games, has more than eight million followers across Instagram and TikTok, making her the world's most followed rugby player.

The 28-year-old, who has signed a three-month contract with Bristol, was also a runner-up in the most recent series of US television show Dancing With The Stars.

Maher's presence for the game against champions Gloucester-Hartpury generated a Bristol record crowd of 9,240 for a women's game.

She came off the bench for the final 20 minutes at Ashton Gate to huge cheers but was unable to make a major impact and Bristol went down to a 40-17 defeat.