"I made a whole video and people loved it" - Ilona Maher reveals the inspiration behind her most savage social media clapback

American rugby player Ilona Maher shared the most savage comeback she has had on her social media handles. Maher, currently signed with the Premiership Women's Rugby side Bristol Bears on a three-month contract is also one of the most followed rugby stars in the United States.

She boasts a fan following of more than 3.3 million followers on TikTok and over 4.5 million followers on Instagram.

She keeps her followers engaged with sarcastic content owing to which she also has to face trolling from the netizens. In a recent conversation with "First We Feast", Maher was asked about her most savage comeback moment to a troll on her social media.

Replying to this, the 28-year-old Vermont native replied that she once made a video to answer a woman who had commented about her overweight BMI (Body Mass Index). She said (at 3:06):

"One time a women said that I have an overweight BMI and I do. And I don't care so I made a whole video and people loved it. Now everyone knows my BMI and I don't mind it."

Ilona Maher, besides being a professional rugby player, also tried her hands at dancing recently. She was part of the 33rd edition of "Dancing With the Stars" where she finished in the runner-up position with her partner Alan Bersten.

---

Ilona Maher opened up about her aim to evolve her sport through social media

Maher running with the rugby ball donning a white jersey during the United States and Great Britain match (Image via: Getty Images)

Ilona Maher shed light on her aim to draw attention to the sport of rugby through her social media handles. This came just a few months ago after she clinched the bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

In an interview, Maher revealed that she started her social media journey to send a message about her sport to the fans. She also mentioned that her social media content worked as an encouragement for the audience to tune into her sport initially and eventually turned out to be a brand builder for her. She said (via Sports Illustrated):

"First, it was a way to get my message out there, a way to get my team out there. Especially in Tokyo, it worked to [encourage] people to tune in to our sport, get eyes on our sport. Then, personally, it’s become a brand-building thing."

During the interview, Ilona Maher also emphasized the financial aspect of playing a niche sport like women's rugby and stated that it is not as lucrative as other sports.