Ilona Maher jokes about "failed attempt" at looking mysterious and chill as she attends European Rugby Champions Cup fixture

Ilona Maher was present at the 2024 European Champions Cup fixture between Bristol Bears and Leinster on Sunday, December 8, as a halftime panelist. Known for her charismatic presence, she posted a playful video of herself enthusiastically waving to fans at the stadium.

Maher clinched a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics with Team USA and gained further popularity after finishing as a runner-up on Dancing with the Stars. She also recently signed a contract with Bristol Bears, marking her transition to the Premiership Women's Rugby League.

During her panel appearance, Maher reflected on her busy 2024, highlighting key milestones: the Olympics, her feature in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue in September, and her stint on DWTS.

The Olympic bronze medalist shared a video on Instagram where she was seen waving to fans during the Championships Cup coverage. She captioned it:

"It's just not who I am."

She also captioned the video with a playful remark:

"Once again failing my mission to seem mysterious and chill."

In her panel interview, Ilona Maher also shared her excitement about joining Bristol Bears. She expressed her enthusiasm for the opportunity to transition from rugby sevens to XV rugby, highlighting how the move aligns with her goal of making the USA squad for the 2025 Rugby World Cup.

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Ilona Maher on why she chose Bristol Bears

Ilona Maher at Bristol Bears v Leinster Rugby - Investec Champions Cup 2024/2025 (Source: Getty)

In a recent interview with the Rugby Rundown, Ilona Maher reflected on her year so far and explained why she chose to join Bristol Bears instead of other elite teams. The decision came after she was ineligible for other clubs due to the PWR league's requirement of recent national 15s experience. As her focus had been on rugby sevens, this rule disqualified her from joining teams that had shown interest in her.

During the interview, the host asked her:

"Why Bristol, we thought you might go to London, we had you on the cards for Harlequins or whatever, why Bristol?" (at 03:08)

Maher replied:

"I got a message from Abby Ward who was like hey, you know Dave and Tom would like to chat with you and I was like okay, you know, I could chat but again I'm not eligible." (3:42 onwards)

She explained that her commitment to Dancing with the Stars kept her busy, though she noted the team was still eager to speak with her.

Maher continued:

"I got on the phone with them, and right away, I could see like they're willing to do what it takes to get me to their team and also that it's going to be mutually beneficial for both sides."

Despite initial barriers, Ilona Maher joined Bristol Bears due to the flexibility of her short-term contract. While she did not meet the PWR eligibility requirement for a 15s cap, the nature of her agreement allowed for exceptions as it did not strictly adhere to the same eligibility framework as full-season contracts.