US rugby star Ilona Maher joins the UK's Bristol Bears

US rugby prima Ilona Maher is moving to the UK to articulation the Bristol Bears.

The rugby sevens player, who boasts 3.3 cardinal followers connected TikTok and 4.6 cardinal connected Instagram, announced her determination to the Premiership Women's Rugby league connected Monday successful a video filmed successful Ashton Gate Stadium, the location of the Bears.

"I'm looking guardant to calling Bristol location arsenic we cogwheel up for the Rugby World Cup 2025 played present successful England," Maher said.

She went connected to gag astir the acold upwind and if she could "get a roast" aft signaling the video, saying it was a large crushed she was there.

The 28-year-old changeable to fame during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics erstwhile she posted regular videos connected societal media from the Olympic Village arsenic the COVID pandemic restricted fans and household members from in-person spectating.

Maher continued filming amusing contented during the Paris games implicit the summer, wherever she won a bronze, helping the women's rugby sevens squad triumph the US its archetypal rugby medal successful 100 years, albeit with a 92 twelvemonth hiatus for the athletics astatine the Olympics.

Her societal media beingness has meant she is the astir followed rugby subordinate online successful the world.

By comparison, France prima Antoine Dupont, who immoderate see the top men's rugby national subordinate ever and is among the astir celebrated existent players successful the men's game, lone has astir 1.1 cardinal Insta followers and 171,000 X followers.

Bristol Bears caput manager Dave Ward described Maher arsenic "one of the biggest names successful women's sport" who "will adhd existent value" to the West Country team.

"Her quality shot successful manus volition springiness our onslaught a caller magnitude and her tendency to prima successful the Rugby World Cup successful England adjacent summertime is simply a immense driving unit for her to execute large things astatine Bears," helium said.

"Her illustration arsenic an jock to animate the adjacent procreation aligns precisely with ours arsenic a nine and we tin lone applaud the enactment she has and volition bash for the women's game."

The Bears said Maher has already arrived successful Bristol to statesman grooming but volition spell location to the States for Christmas earlier returning to the UK successful the caller year.

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The Women's Rugby World Cup is acceptable to instrumentality spot crossed the UK from August adjacent year.

Maher's determination to the UK comes aft she came runner-up successful Dancing With The Stars - the US mentation of Strictly Come Dancing - which ended past week.

She told ABC's Good Morning America that she appeared connected the world dancing amusement to beryllium "rugby players are multidimensional".