Ilona Maher not only has a following for her on-court performance, but she also has a huge fan base for her off-court shenanigans, from her TikTok posts to her stint on other social media platforms. But the star rugby player was not satisfied with this! Ilona went on to gain a new set of audiences from her recent participation in ‘Dancing with the Stars.’

And the result you may ask? Just a mere assumption about her coming to the fields with the Bristol Bears made the organizers change the venue. Now, that’s what we call a true fan following! The Bristol Bears has a much-anticipated clash with the Gloucester-Hartpury originally scheduled for January 4th in the coming year. Yesterday, RugbyPass reported that the match had been shifted to Ashton Gate from Shaftesbury Park and will take place on January 5.

The club stated, “Due to unprecedented demand, Bristol Bears Women’s West Country derby clash with Gloucester-Hartpury has been switched to Ashton Gate and will now be played on Sunday, January 5th.”  Certainly, the reason for the surge in demand is none other than the expected kickoff of American rugby star in the Premiership Women’s Rugby Game, as reported by Rugbypass!

The Shaftesbury Park stadium only had a capacity of 2,000 spectators. But the new venue can now hold nearly 27000 spectators. It looks like her presence in the sport is doing so much for sports popularity. Ilona has been gaining fame ever since her US rugby team won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. But this is not just it, as her TikTok presence and whole talk about body positivity that she has initiated through her social media has won hearts.

Her participation in ‘Dancing with the Stars’ further gave her more supporters. However, it wasn’t only due to her moves but rather her demeanor and behavior that are what led to this. She is truly turning a dominant European sport into an American love. All thanks to her reception from the audience. Her joining the UK-based league to improve her chances of playing in the 2025 Rugby World Cup is expected to further increase attention to rugby in America.

She is feeling butterflies before her big return to the ground

Ilona has been absent from the court for quite some time now. All she has been practicing recently was her dancing moves. This has made her somewhat nervous about her upcoming comeback to the field. Nevertheless, she is all excited “to get back to” her sport, as she mentioned the same in her interview with the YouTube channel of the Bristol Bears.

Ilona’s rugby has gotten her to where she is presently, as she said, “I am excited to get back to where my roots are, how this all started, and what’s gotten me to this point.” She may be nervous, but time and again she has proved her skills in the game. And we are all rooting for her banging comeback!

Do you think Ilona will be playing on 5th January, or is it just rumors? Comment your thoughts below.