Ilona Maher Leads Team USA into World Cup Opener Against England
Ilona Maher is about to make history for Team USA, and it’s creating a lot of buzz in the rugby world. For the first time in her career, Maher has been named in the starting lineup for the Women’s Rugby World Cup, where the United States will take on England in their opening match. What makes this so exciting is not just her debut on this stage, but also the journey she’s taken to get here.
Now, for anyone who has followed Maher’s career, you’ll know she’s already a household name in rugby. She’s represented the U.S. in rugby sevens, even bringing home a bronze medal from the Paris Olympics last year—the first Olympic medal the country has ever won in the sport. But this tournament is different. Unlike sevens, which is only 14 minutes long, this 15-a-side format runs a full 80 minutes, and Maher has been working hard to adjust to that style of play.
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To sharpen her skills, she joined the Bristol Bears in England’s top professional league late last year. In just three months, she played eight matches and scored four tries. Her debut drew over 9,000 fans, breaking an attendance record for the league. That match was even moved to a bigger stadium because of demand, showing just how much of a draw she has become.
And Maher isn’t just a star on the field—she’s a phenomenon off it. With nearly nine million followers across Instagram and TikTok, she’s the most-followed rugby player in the world. She first went viral during the Tokyo Olympics back in 2021, sharing behind-the-scenes moments that fans connected with instantly. Forbes even named her to their 30 Under 30 list, not only for her influence in sports but also for her message around body positivity and confidence. She has openly said she’s proud to be the face of a sport that’s often seen as male-dominated, and the impact she’s making has been felt across both the women’s and men’s game.
From a team perspective, the U.S.—known as the Eagles—has a proud history in the Women’s World Cup. They won the very first tournament back in 1991 and reached the finals in both 1994 and 1998. More recently, they fell in the quarterfinals in 2022, so this squad is eager to make a deeper run this year. Head coach Sione Fukofuka has been clear: England, currently the number one team in the world, will be tough. They’re physical, disciplined, and confident. But he believes the Eagles have the tools to match that intensity and create pressure of their own.
The stage is set at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, with kickoff on Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET. England, hosting the World Cup for the second time, will bring plenty of support in the stands. But with Maher starting for the U.S., all eyes will be on how America’s biggest rugby star handles her first 15s World Cup. For fans, it feels less like just another game and more like a defining moment in the growth of women’s rugby—something Maher herself has been driving both on and off the field.
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