Ilona Maher makes an appeal to fans ahead of Bristol Bears’ Valentine’s Day clash against Harlequins at the Stoop

Ilona Maher recently appealed to fans, inviting them to attend the Bristol Bears’ upcoming clash against Harlequins at the Stoop. The PWR encounter will coincide with Valentine’s Day, with the game beginning at 19:30.

The match, set to take place at the Stoop, has so far drawn 5,000 fans, with adult tickets priced £12 onwards and U18 tickets starting from £6. Maher took to her Instagram story to encourage fans to attend the game if they were in London, captioning it:

“If you’re in London come on over to the Stoop to watch some action on Valentine’s Day!”

Ilona Maher’s story asking fans to come to the Valentine's Day PWR game - Source: via @ilonamaher on Instagram

Ilona Maher made her Bristol Bears debut as a substitute against Gloucester-Hartpury on January 5 at Ashton Gate Stadium in front of a record-breaking crowd of 9,240 fans. However, her first full debut came against Exeter Chiefs on January 12.

During the February 8 clash against the Chiefs, the 28-year-old was seen beaming with excitement as she found a large poster of herself held by fans. She shared the moment on her Instagram story, captioning the post:

“I genuinely think you [fans] all are just so cool”

The 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medallist also spoke about her most treasured achievements in a recent appearance on a podcast.

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“It felt like it was for a much greater purpose” - Ilona Maher reflects on the achievement that meant most to her

Maher and USA team at Paris Olympics 2024 (Photo: Getty Images)

Ilona Maher reflected on the achievement that meant the most to her, winning the bronze at the Paris Olympics, finishing as runner-up on Dancing with the Stars, or making her Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) debut. In an interaction with Alicia Jay on the "We Need To Talk" podcast, she expressed her thoughts and said:

“It was the Olympic medal because, again, it didn't feel like it was just for myself. It felt like it was for a much greater purpose. Getting that medal felt like it was for my teammates and for our program in general. I think that’s what drove me to feel so passionate about it." [12:53 onwards]

She added:

"That just almost set our team up to be better in the future, inspiring other girls to dream of becoming rugby players. So, I think I’m definitely most proud of that, but I’m also proud that I enjoyed the journey to that.”

In the interview, Ilona Maher further shared her excitement about contributing to rugby’s growth through her personal brand and social media presence. However, she expressed her goal of keeping fans engaged with the sport, ensuring they continue supporting rugby even in matches where she isn’t featured.