U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher has celebrated her first start for the Bristol Bears by powering over for a try in a 41-31 victory at the Exeter Chiefs.

Ilona Maher marked her first Premiership Women’s Rugby start with a try as Bristol boosted their hopes of reaching the play-offs with a gutsy win over regional rivals Exeter Chiefs.

Ilona Maher’s impact on women’s rugby in England had been significant even before she had stepped on a rugby pitch in the country. On Sunday came the American’s time to make a telling contribution on the field of play as she scored a sensational 70-yard try in her first start for her new team.

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

Ilona Maher celebrated her first start for Bristol by powering over for a try as part of an impactful display in a 41-31 victory against Exeter at Sandy Park. Maher, the game’s most popular ...

Olympian Ilona Maher is nursing a brutal injury following a violent collision in a recent Bristol Bears rugby match. Maher, 28, shared an update via Instagram on Saturday, January 18, writing, "When people keep asking me if I'm OK but I just broke my nose.

An hour later, Maher shared a video of herself holding the same bag of ice, now melted, to her face as she lip-synced to audio from her DWTS run when, after judge Carrie Ann Inaba asked if she was OK, she responded, “been better, Carrie Ann.”

The USA Eagles player is also not worried about a potential U.S. ban on TikTok, a platform she has amassed over three million followers on.

Bristol Bears' Ilona Maher during the Premiership Women's Rugby match between Bristol Bears and Gloucester Hartpury at Ashton Gate, Bristol, England, Sunday Jan. 5, 2025. (Adam Davy/PA via AP ...

Social media sensation Ilona Maher celebrated her first start for Bristol by scoring a spectacular try to inspire a 41-31 win against Exeter on Sunday.

The viral rugby star has eight million followers across Instagram and TikTok, making her the most followed rugby union player globally. In conversation with Epigram, she spoke about her move to the local team.