"I hope they like me" - Ilona Maher makes her feelings known as she gets gears up for her first day with the Bristol Bears

Ilona Maher has established herself as one of the best-known faces of rugby in the USA. The 28-year-old has forayed into a new path in her professional journey as she has signed with the Bristol Bears, a team that is a part of the Premiership Women's Rugby league in England. Recently, the American made an honest confession about her feelings on her first day with the Bears.

Maher first rose to fame during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, when she became a social media sensation for sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of an athlete’s life in the Olympic village. Earlier this year, the rugby star's popularity skyrocketed after she led Team USA to a historic bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in the rugby sevens event.

Now, after her success at the Games, Maher has entered a three-month contract with the PWR’s Bristol Bears. This will mark the first time the 28-year-old has played rugby 15s since 2021. With the Bears' season opener scheduled on January 4, Ilona Maher made her feelings known about joining the team. Taking to Instagram, she shared a clip of herself getting ready for her first day with the team, saying,

“First day of school vibes. I hope they like me.”

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Ilona Maher on becoming a part of the PWR

Ilona Maher at the Bristol Bears v Leinster Rugby Investec Champions Cup match (Image Source: Getty)

In an interview with The Guardian, Ilona Maher revealed that she has contacted multiple Premiership Women's Rugby teams at the end of 2023, but nothing had come to fruition at that time. Then, during her stint in season 33 of Dancing With The Stars, the Bristol Bears reached out to the Olympian, and she quickly jumped on the opportunity.

Maher revealed that her primary goal of playing in the PWR is to get a chance to represent the USA at the Rugby 15s World Cup, saying,

“I want to put myself in the best position to hopefully be selected for the World Cup. I think there are many reasons. I really love what the PWR is doing and I think I love their branding, I think that’s really cool. I have been in the USA sevens for six years now. So I wanted to try something different, go and live somewhere else, meet new people.

She went on to add that she was excited for the new challenge, saying,

“I do feel like the first day of school, I am nervous, I don’t know everybody. It is a stressful thing and it is outside of my comfort zone but I think this is exactly what I love to do and I like to challenge myself in this way.”

The Bristol Bears’ first match of 2025 is scheduled for January 5, as the team takes on Gloucester-Hartpury at the Ashton Gate Stadium.