Ilona Maher is one of the biggest names in the US at the moment. The rugby union player took one of the most unique decisions that changed her life forever. In a surprising turn of events, Maher decided to feature on the latest season of Dancing With The Stars. This was a totally new experience for her, as the 28-year-old had never danced in her life before. And while she tried to improve on her dancing skills, Maher was greeted with a swarm of controversy. 

Online trolls came hard at her for not having the ideal feminine build to embrace the graceful act of dancing. She was also criticized for her muscular frame, which took a significant mental toll on the rugby athlete. Luckily for Maher, she got one of the best dancing partners in Alan Bersten. Throughout the entirety of the DWTS, it was Bersten who took it upon himself to make sure that Maher slowly transformed into a graceful dancer. 

And the difference was very much obvious. With each episode, Maher became more and more accustomed to dancing. Having ended up being the runner-up in the finals, it is now time for Maher to come back to her usual routine. Now, Maher has been a champion athlete right from her early days. After committing to the sport at the age of 17, a young Maher clinched three National Intercollegiate Rugby Union Championships. Representing Quinnipiac University, Maher slowly began to blossom into the icon that she is now. 

Blossoming as a professional athlete, Maher is now a two-time Olympian. She clinched a bronze medal in Paris to further add the caviar to her already bejeweled cabinet of accomplishments. Now, ahead of her big debut for the Bristol Bears, Maher has received a major honor. During the Bears men’s game, the 28-year-old was called onto the field to be felicitated by the team. Uploading the video of her antics on the field, Maher detailed a hilarious fail. 

Apparently, she wanted to appear poised and mysterious while interacting with the audience. But once she stepped foot on the ground, Maher could be seen all excited, waving frantically to all the corners of the stadium. Captioning the video, the rugby union legend stated, “Once again failing my mission to seem mysterious and chill.”

Now, signing up with the Premiership Women’s Rugby, Maher seems to be itching to take the field. On being asked why she was so eager to become a part of PWR, an honest Maher replied, “I’ve been wanting to play in this league for a while now. I think I’m so amazed at what they’re trying to do with the women’s game. I’ve been trying since October 2023. I think Bristol reached out to me, and they really wanted me. I think it was hugely beneficial.” She also expressed her joy in teaming up with the Bristol Bears. Maher stated that she will be looking forward to creating ‘magic’ with the Bears. Well, speaking of magic, her DWTS fame has caught on with the fans. So much so that the Bristol Bears were compelled to change the venue for her debut! 

Ilona Maher fever takes over UK rugby fans as she brings in a whopping $200,000 ahead of her debut

Everybody in the UK seems to be watching DWTS. And thus, when the news got out that Maher would be taking the field for the Bristol Bears, fans just could not keep calm. Now, her debut is still some time to go on January 5. But the unprecedented response that the Bristol Bears authorities had prompted to take a never-seen-before decision. They decided to change the venue for the opening game of the Bears! 

Initially, the game was scheduled to be hosted by Gloucester Hartpury. However, due to heavy fan demands, the authorities quickly realized that the capacity wouldn’t be enough at the decided venue. Thus, the match was shifted to the relatively bigger Ashton Gate to accommodate approximately 27,000 people! And guess what? While the tickets are already on sale, 1000 seats have already been filled. 

Expecting a capacity crowd of at least 20,000, the Bears are looking to cash in on a potential $200,000 from their ticket sales. Thus, with the hype train pretty much going along with Ilona Maher, it remains to be seen how her on-field performance resonates with her newfound fame.