One of many largest names in rugby will be a part of Bristol Bears in 2025, with USA Eagles star Ilona Maher heading to the membership on a three-month deal in January.
The 28-year-old Olympic bronze medallist – probably the most adopted rugby participant on the planet on social media, boasting greater than eight million followers – has arrived within the West Nation with fast impact to fulfill her new teammates and start coaching this week, earlier than heading dwelling till the New 12 months.
Maher joins the Bears together with her sights set on incomes a spot within the USA squad for the 2025 World Cup in England, with two quarter-finals and each semi-finals going down at Ashton Gate.
The versatile again, who can function at centre and wing, made her worldwide debut on the 2018 Paris Sevens match and from there, competed on the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 on dwelling soil in San Francisco and later the Tokyo 2020 Olympics held in 2021.
A now two-time Olympian, Maher would consecutively be chosen for the Paris 2024 video games three years later, showcasing a devasting mixture of velocity and energy.
Maher earned an invitation to the Girls’s Eagles fifteens camp in 2021, making her official debut towards Canada through the Pacific 4 Sequence in Glendale, CO.
Dave Ward
Head Coach, Dave Ward, mentioned: “This can be a big coup to have the ability to carry Ilona Maher to Bristol Bears on a short-term deal. She is without doubt one of the largest names in ladies’s sport, not to mention rugby, and we imagine she is going to add actual worth to our programme on and off the sphere.
“Ilona is without doubt one of the standout stars within the sevens sport and we are able to’t wait to see her play for Bears in XVs. Her skill ball in hand will give our assault a brand new dimension and her need to star within the Rugby World Cup in England subsequent summer season is a big driving power for her to realize nice issues at Bears.
“Her profile as an athlete to encourage the following era aligns precisely with ours as a membership and we are able to solely applaud the work she has and can do for the ladies’s sport.”
Maher mentioned: “I’m excited to hitch the Bristol Bears and put myself in the most effective place to earn a spot to characterize USA within the 2025 Rugby World Cup alongside such a gifted and pushed group because the Bears.”
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