Ilona Maher shares glimpse of herself in black leather jacket in Bristol's 'cold' weather after joining the rugby team

American Union rugby player Ilona Maher shared glimpses of her settling into the city of Bristol after her recent move to the Premiership side. However, the most difficult thing that Maher is facing so far has seemingly been the weather in the city. It can go as low as 3 degrees in December.

Maher also referred to the cold weather in the city during her announcement video with the Bristol Bears. The American rugby player was recently spotted on the city streets, exploring her new home.

Maher took to her Instagram handle to share a photo of herself in a black jacket and blue denim. She complemented it with white shoes. The caption read:

"You alright, darlin’?"

Maher's fellow Team USA teammate Kayla Canett reacted to this post with a sweet comment:

"I miss u"

Maher replied with a funny comment about the weather in Bristol. She wrote:

"It's cold here. I am scared"

Screenshot of Maher and Canett's conversation (via: Maher's Instagram handle @ilonamaher)

Canett plays as a fly-half for the US national team and was also part of the side that bagged the bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics.

Bristol Bears teammate Holly Aitchison commented on the energetic nature of Ilona Maher

Maher posing in a blue shirt and jeans during the Team USA Media Summit (Image via: Getty Images)

27-year-old Bristol Bears player Holly Aitchison recently spoke about the significance of Ilona Maher's recruitment to the team's dressing room. Aitchison joined the side last year after spending a stint with Saracens Women.

In a conversation with BBC, Aitchison heaped praise on Maher, with a special emphasis on the immense energy she carries. The British player also mentioned that a character of Maher's stature is required for the sport of rugby currently. She said:

"It's been really lovely to get her here, settle her in a bit and for everyone to get to know her. She's a gorgeous girl in her own right - she's been fab, she brings so much energy. She's an icon and bigger than the sport right now. We need those people in our game, so everyone's been a little bit silly."

During the interview, Aitchison also acknowledged the difficulty Ilona Maher could face in understanding the team structure and the formations, as she is making a switch from Rugby 7s to 15s.

"It'll be a bit different when we come to the team sessions and she has to understand all the structures. That'll be fun when she gets to that stuff and it'll be more complicated.

"People are surprised, maybe, by how normal she is. She just takes everything in her stride - it doesn't feel like you've got a massive celebrity in the room like she is. From what I gauge, she's super-cool and super-chill."