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Sevens sensation Ilona Maher reveals desire to play at 2025 Rugby World Cup
By Finn Morton
Paris Olympics bronze medallist Ilona Maher has expressed a desire to join the United States of America’s team for next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in England. World Rugby recently celebrated the ‘one year to go’ milestone leading up to the showpiece event.
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In the last month or so in particular, Maher has emerged as the face of rugby union on social media with the American amassing an incredible following during the Olympics. Maher currently has 2.3 million followers on TikTok and 3.8 million on Instagram.
To put that into perspective, Maher has 1.3 million more followers on IG than the All Blacks and almost triple the following of the world champion Springboks. All Blacks great Dan Carter has 1.1 million and Springboks captain Siya Kolisi has 1.3.
Maher releases candid videos on social media that have drawn a new audience to rugby union. During the USA’s run to Olympic bronze at the Paris Games, this writer saw multiple videos on social media of new fans riding the emotions with Maher during the USA’s run to history.
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There were a lot of videos published that mixed footage of Maher playing at the Olympics with Chappel Roan’s song ‘Femininomenon’ played – a song that combines feminine and phenomenon, which in itself highlights Maher’s impact.
But, in an exciting development for the Women’s Rugby World Cup and USA Rugby, Maher has recently revealed plans to “try to make that team” when the Eagles look to follow their history-making feat in sevens with some success in 15s.
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“Do not fear my new rugby fans, there’s going to be some rugby for ya,” Maher said on TikTok. “The biggest one that I’m going to highlight is next year is the women’s Rugby World Cup.
“This is going to be absolutely major.
“Now hold on, hold on, a little difference – this is rugby 15s, where what you were watching at the Olympics is rugby sevens. But, that’s just so cool there’s so many forms of rugby for you to watch.
“This World Cup is going to take place in England and England loves their rugby and it is going to be a party, I have no doubt.
“I’ll try to be there. I’m going to try to make that team, see if they can use me somewhere on that field.
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“This is going to be so fun so keep eyes out on this. There’ll be games happening all over this year for you to watch and cheer and might be close to you so go check it out.”
At the Olympics, Maher released a series of hilarious videos before rugby sevens had even begun at the Games. The American took fans behind the scenes of the Athletes Village and social media users applauded her for that.
But, Maher’s crowning moment came on rugby sevens’ last day at the Games. After the three-day event for the men, and almost as many full days of play in the women’s competition, Maher led the USA into battle for a shot at Olympic bronze.
Team USA took on SVNS Series champions Australia, and incredibly, they won. Alex Sedrick went coast-to-coast as the Americans claimed their first-ever rugby sevens medal at an Olympics with a hard-fought 14-12 win.
“Ilona is without a doubt a superstar of these games. Full stop,” World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin told AFP.
“She is rugby’s most followed athlete, has a following that’s greater than most, if not all of the household names in Paris, and attracted an extra 300,000 Instagram and 100,000 TikTok followers overnight.”
