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American rugby union player Ilona Maher shared her reaction to the England vs Wales match at the Women's Six Nations. The England line-up included quite a few of her former Bristol Bears teammates.
Maher is an accomplished player, winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024 for Team USA. She represented the Britsol Bears for a brief three-month period.
During her time with the Bristol Bears, Maher played in seven matches and scored four tries. She took to Instagram to share her support for her former teammates playing in the England vs Wales match. The English rugby union players included Hannah Botterman, Lark Atkin-Davies, Sarah Bern, and Abbie Ward. She wrote on Instagram:
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"That's a solid front row @hannahbotts_, @larkdavies, @sarahbern3. @abbieward93 also getting stuck in
Maher was vocal with her support for her former teammates, and they did not disappoint. England thumped Wales 67-12, scoring 11 tries on the night in Cardiff.
On the international stage, Maher has represented the U.S at multiple major tournaments, including the Rugby World Cup Sevens (2018), the Tokyo Olympics (2021), and the Paris Olympics (2024).
Ilona Maher reveals recent dating experiences
Olympic bronze medalist Ilona Maher revealed her most recent dating experiences, stating that she felt like she was interviewing men. In a podcast launched by her alongside her sisters called House of Maher, she made her feelings known on the matter:
"I will say and even when I go on like dates with people, it's like how well can you hold a conversation, because have you been on dates with men recently? They are not asking questions," Maher said.
"It's very one-sided. So like to me at our table it was like I'll ask a question, you ask a question. Like that's how I was raised and I'm always interested. But sometimes it feels like I'm just interviewing men for a job or something and then are they like, 'I had a great time.'" (5:53 onwards)
Maher was vocal about several topics on the podcast, including how she and her sisters were brought up by their mom:
“We were raised with a naked mom. She was naked around us, like she would get changed in front of us (and) we would see what a woman's body looks like in all of its forms - having been pregnant, then giving birth and moles and stretch marks. To us that was so beautiful. We got to experience what a woman's body is, and now, being in a woman's body, I love and appreciate it because I saw it in all of its forms.” (29:10 onwards)
Ilona Maher has a large social media following and often uses her platform to spread the message of body positivity, besides promoting rugby.
