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After her runner-up finish on Dancing With The Stars, Team USA rugby star Ilona Maher is getting back to doing what she does best.
Per Colin Millar of The Athletic, Maher is joining the Bristol Bears of Premiership Women’s Rugby on a three-month contract. The 28-year-old reportedly will be registered to play for the Bears in January through the remaining three months of the season, and she completed her move to Bristol this week.
Maher, who helped lead Team USA to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics this past summer, will be playing full XVs rugby for the first time since 2021 after spending the last three years exclusively playing the sevens code. She is hoping to help lead the Bears to a spot in next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, which will be played in England.
“I am 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,” Maher said.
Bears head coach Dave Ward told Millar that the arrival of Maher is a “huge coup” and she will “add real value to our program on and off the field.” Bristol is currently ranked fourth in the English top flight with five wins in seven league games this season.
Maher is the most-followed rugby player, male or female, in the world with over eight million followers across her social media platforms.
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