Ilona Maher has become a household name in women’s rugby over the last two years — both on the field and off. Not only is Maher now one of the most popular women’s rugby players, but she’s become a social media sensation on Instagram and Tiktok due to her firm stance on body positivity and the importance of female athletes.
With Maher’s recent growth in popularity — combined with her Olympic work ethic — it’s difficult to keep all her achievements straight. Here’s a timeline of Maher’s more-than-deserved rise to fame:
June 2017
After winning three championships with the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) at Quinnipiac University, Maher receives the MA Sorenson Award for best collegiate women’s rugby player her junior season.
May 2018
During her senior season at Quinnipiac University, Maher is nominated for the MA Sorenson Award, named to the NIRA All-American team for the third time, and won Most Outstanding Player at the NIRA championships. The Olympic Training Center invites Maher out to participate in their women’s rugby program.
June 2018
Maher makes her USA Rugby World Cup Sevens team debut at the Women’s SVNS tournament in Paris, France with the USA Eagles.
June 2019
Maher helps make women’s rugby history by leading the USA Women’s Rugby Sevens Team to place first in the HSBC France tournament and second overall for the season.
June 2020
Maher is chosen alongside fourteen other players to represent Team USA at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
July 2021
At 24 years old, Maher arrives in Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Olympics, only the second Olympic Games to include sevens rugby. Her hilarious Olympic Village behind-the-scenes TikToks go viral, and The New York Times and TIME report on the buzz.
@ilonamaher Testing out the cardboard beds at the Olympic Village #beastbeautybrains #olympics #cardboardbeds #tokyoolympics #usarugby #japan #athletes #rugger
♬ original sound - Ilona Maher
September 2022
After being selected to return to the USA Rugby World Cup Sevens team, Maher leads the team to the semi-finals in Cape Town, South Africa.
November 2022
Maher discusses social media use, physical taboos and the financial challenges of being a female rugby athlete with Ensemble Magazine.
October 2023
Maher assists Team USA win gold and the country’s first Women’s Rugby Sevens title at the Pan American Games.
July 2024
Maher co-founds Medalist skincare, specifically designed for women athletes, with former NCAA swimmer Ann Ragan Kearns.
She returns to Team USA for her second Olympic Games and continues to rack up followers on social media with her witty relatable content. In one video, she roasts a hate comment about her BMI by mentioning her 170 pounds of pure lean muscle mass and responding “I’m going to the Olympics, you’re not.”
@ilonamaher As long as haters keep saying dumb stuff, I’m gonna keep clapping back
♬ original sound - Ilona Maher
In Paris, Maher leads Team USA to win bronze against Australia — America’s first medal in rugby.
After winning the game, Maher tearfully interviews with OnHerTurf on the field and says “you know, we have something that young girls could look up to do and be professional rugby players.”
Ilona Maher and the U.S. women’s rugby sevens team putting everyone on notice. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/OKkIrpqOYN
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) July 31, 2024
August 2024
Maher appears on the Swimsuit Edition cover for Sports Illustrated and discusses rugby’s financial gender gap, her Maybelline lipstick campaign and constant hate comments calling her body “masculine.” She states that rugby showed her “How capable my body is and it’s not just like a tool to be looked at and objectified.”
September 2024
Dancing with the Stars selects Maher to partner with professional dancer Alan Bernsten for Season 33. She continues to defy gender stereotypes by being the first female partner in DWTS history to lift her male partner.
@ilonamaher Never be afraid to be as strong as you can @Dancing with the Stars DWTS
♬ Anaconda - Nicki Minaj
Later in the month, Maher walks the red carpet in a backless dress at the 2024 Emmy Awards to show off her muscular shoulders. “I always try to hide my shoulders,” Maher said in a previous Tiktok “I always had really long hair because I wanted to cover it and seem feminine. It’s really taken years of learning and deprogramming to love my big shoulders and to find them beautiful.”
November 2024
Maher is featured in People Magazine and discusses doing what scares her, owning insecurities and embracing the joy in life.
December 2024
Forbes includes Maher in Sports 30 under 30, referencing her tremendous success in rugby and online. “She now has more than 7 million social media followers and uses her videos to speak openly on body positivity and the issues she faces as a female athlete.”
Maher signs a three-month contract with Premiership Women’s Rugby team Bristol Bears in England. According to ESPN, Maher said she is “excited to join the Bristol Bears and put myself in the best position to earn a spot to represent USA in the 2025 Rugby World Cup alongside such a talented and driven group as the Bears.”
Beast. Beauty. Brains. BEAR. 🐻@ilona_maher is in the house! 🇺🇸💫 pic.twitter.com/KgTwO7TWkg
— Bristol Bears Women 🐻 (@BristolBearsW) December 2, 2024
January 2025
High ticket demand to Maher’s debut game required the Bristol Bears to relocate to a larger stadium. According to AP, the team’s previous attendance record was 4,101 in May 2022. Maher attracted thousands of fans, more than doubling the record to 9,240 attendees.
Maher has also appeared on Brittany Broski’s Royal Court Youtube series, placed second in DWTS, and landed major brand partnerships with Maybelline, Secret deodorant, L’Oreal Paris and Tinder with her famous hashtag #beautybeastbrains. Now, Maher is the most followed rugby player on social media with over 8 million followers to date.
You can watch Ilona Maher’s next Bristol Bears game this Friday, February 14th at 11:30 AM PST on TheRugbyNetwork.