Ilona Maher, one of the world's most popular rugby players, debuted for Bristol Bears in front of a record crowd of 9,240 fans. Although Bristol lost to Gloucester-Hartpury, the match marked a significant milestone for women's rugby in England.
Bristol Bears' Ilona Maher made her debut for the Bristol Bears women's team in front of a record home crowd of 9,240 fans on Sunday. But Maher, one of the most followed rugby players on the planet, could not prevent Bristol from losing 40-17 to defending champion Gloucester-Hartpury in a Premiership Women’s Rugby match. She came on as a substitute in the 61st minute at Ashton Gate with Bristol trailing 28-10.
Maher made her presence felt in a couple of rucks and looked for work off the wing but could make little impact on the overall picture in her 20 minutes on the field. The previous attendance record for a Bristol women’s home match was 4,101 against Harlequins in May 2022. Such was the anticipation surrounding Maher's debut that Bristol relocated the match from a smaller venue to Ashton Gate to satisfy demand for seats. The 28-year-old Maher, who helped lead the U.S. to the bronze medal in rugby sevens at the Paris Games, has signed a three-month contract with Bristol in southwestern England. She had begun training with Bristol in December when the team announced the signing before going back to the United States for the holidays. Maher has more than 8 million followers combined on Instagram and TikTok. She was a runner-up on Dancing With The Stars TV show. The Vermont native is returning to the 15-a-side game in hopes of boosting her chances of making the U.S. team for the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England. She can play at wing or center. Bristol also said the attendance was a record for a stand-alone game in the Premiership. League-leading Harlequins said they set a women’s club rugby record for attendance on Dec. 28 when 18,055 fans watched the team beat Leicester Tigers 42-17 at Twickenham Stadiu
RUGBY WOMEN's RUGBY ILONA MAHER BRISTOL BEARS RECORD ATTENDANCE
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