Ilona Maher: Bristol Bears new signing to make debut from bench
Bristol Bears new signing Ilona Maher will feature as a substitute in Sunday’s Women’s Premiership Rugby match against Gloucester Hartpury.
The American utility confirmed last month that she would join the club on a three-month contract.
Maher, 28, is the most followed rugby league player in the world on social media, with 4.5 million followers on Instagram and 3.2 million followers on TikTok.
The match against the reigning PWR champions has been moved from Shaftesbury Park, home of Bristol Bears Women, to Ashton Gate due to strong demand for tickets, with nearly 8,000 tickets sold as of Friday morning.
Maher, who can play center or wing, won an Olympic bronze medal with the US Rugby Sevens team at the Paris Olympics last summer and her move to Bristol sees her return to the 15-a-side squad for the first time since 2021.
Her addition is one of four changes head coach Dave Ward has made to the 23-player squad, with England’s Holly Cunningham recalled to the second row and Wales’ Fionn Lewis in the squad. First start at half-time.
Meg Varley joins Maher in her return from a long-term foot injury.
Ward said the Round 12 matchup was “huge”.
He told BBC Radio Bristol: “Lana Skelton (the prostitute) came to me yesterday and she said ‘Dave, are you nervous?’ I said, ‘Lana, I’m excited, Because that’s it’.
“I think we had 7-8,000 people on Sunday and it was a repeat of the final, a huge game with points and people looking for international call-ups for the Six Nations.
“That’s why we get up in the morning and work long hours.”
