Earlier this month, the Wallaroos fixtures for 2025 were announced, with Joe Yap’s side set to play seven matches before heading to England for the World Cup.
However, while interacting on social media about this news, questions arose about certain players who are likely to play for the Wallaroos when they take to the field against the USA Eagles in Canberra.
“Who is Ilona Maher?”
Now, as editor of the Australian Rugby site, I clearly recognize that questions like this may be out of the ordinary. Rugby is a massive sport internationally, with the women’s game growing rapidly, and with hundreds of teams and competitions, someone will inevitably miss out.
But for this particular question, I think it’s important to sit down and write this. For those who don’t know, Maher has become more than just a rugby player in 2024. So it may be necessary to provide some context for those who are unfamiliar.
The landscape of women’s sports is changing rapidly. For example, keyboard warriors might tell you that Matildas are all the rage after last year’s World Cup success. A 16-game sellout run means otherwise.
Even when the Matildas are not playing well, they still have tens of thousands of fans and are currently the most followed national team in the country.
In fact, what this whole situation boils down to is that the world is turning round. Female athletes are increasingly recognized for their skills and qualifications as professional sportsmen. And while different sports are progressing at different paces, change is coming. Don’t ignore or downplay it.
This brings us back to rugby. So you don’t know who Ilona Maher is? And why should you care?
It may sound hyperbolic, but she will change professional rugby. It’s important to pay attention to her. You may not know her, but if you have a son or daughter online, they definitely know.
The US Sevens rugby player is the most followed rugby personality in the world, with a whopping 4.7 million followers on Instagram and 3.4 million followers on TikTok. For reference, the most followed male rugby player, Siya Kiolisi, has 1.4 million followers.
Even by 2024 standards, her growth has been enormous. Four months ago she overtook the All Blacks (2.6 million) on Instagram. The news drew plenty of praise but also outrage online. Critical fans ask what she has done in world rugby compared to Kiolisi and Antoine Dupont.
A person who believes that pride should be put aside. Second, let’s break it down.
Those who have followed her on the Sevens circuit know how good of a player she is. Maher, part of the team that ruined Australia’s medal hopes in Paris, is a brutal contact player. She’s quick, can bump players at will and, above all, her skills in the ruck are phenomenal. She’s been doing this for years.
Her profile has grown since the 2020 Olympics, but it has become even stronger for a second important reason. Her online presence is unlike any other rugby star.
On the surface, Maher doesn’t look much different from stars like Kolisi, and there are photos showing behind-the-scenes stories and endorsements.
But she also connects with her audience. many. She talks about how much work it takes to become a professional athlete. She talks about diet and the effort it takes to maintain the ability to compete at that level.
But she also has a personal goal of changing the conversation about body types and body image, especially for women.
If you’re a sofa critic, good luck. She is trying to break you down. For example, in a surprising video where someone criticized her BMI, she revealed that she had been considered overweight her entire life on the BMI scale. It’s an outdated system, and even professional athletes can’t avoid being judged as ‘overweight’.
This particular discourse struck a chord with many in the audience, especially in breaking down the idea that self-confidence does not necessarily manifest itself in a certain way. Humans exist in many different forms.
Body positivity is important. It’s important to feel comfortable in your skin. If someone says it, why does it matter anyway? Who cares what they look like? Typically, this is a sign of someone who hasn’t had this kind of pressure shoved down their throat since childhood.
Maher’s rise also coincided with the performance of the American version. dance with the starsShe put her money where her mouth is. In October she revealed that many costume designers ‘want to cover themselves’. And she demanded that if many of her competitors could show some skin, why not her?
This moment, along with the multiple dresses she started dancing in over and over again, added to the discourse about her focus on body positivity.
If you haven’t had a chance to watch her dance yet, I highly recommend you do so. Not only does she make good use of her physical strength, lifting her male partner as much as he lifts her (a small but important thing to see happen), she proudly displays her love of rugby.
All of this has changed her profile but, crucially, is set to change rugby as a whole.
In the past, rugby was often overshadowed by sports such as soccer, despite having a larger overseas audience compared to Australian rules and leagues. Much of its appeal comes from famous national sports teams such as the All Blacks and Springboks.
Football is a sport where clubs are the biggest brands, such as Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, etc., and even more so, certain players themselves can claim to be the biggest brands. Fans may not be attracted to a club like Al Nasr, but they certainly will if they know Cristiano Ronaldo is playing for them. He sells t-shirts, he sells memberships, he gets sad when he sits down.
Rugby has never seen a player like him. until now.
Roar editor Christy Doran traveled to Seattle with VisitSeattle.org to explore the city’s electric sports atmosphere, outdoor adventures and renowned food scene. Click here to see his latest adventures in the Emerald City.
Earlier this month, it was announced that Maher would sign a three-month contract with Bristol Bears. Maher is transitioning from center to 15-a-side play and plans to join the U.S. national team for next year’s World Cup.
Within 24 hours of the announcement, the Bears’ ticket record was broken.
When she plays in her first match on January 5, not only will she be greeted by the biggest crowd ever to attend a Bears Womens match (breaking the record of 4,101 who watched the Bears play Harlequins in 2022), but she will also be on her own. will unfold. Changed the game location.
The Bears Women team had to move from Shaftsbury Park to the much larger 27,000-seat Ashton Gate to keep up with demand.
Of course he’s not Ronaldo, but big things grow from small things. when any Could a rugby player make such drastic changes?
So how do you react to this? Accept it honestly.
If, for whatever reason, anyone reading this might look at this amazing athlete in horror, I ask: Why?
What she has done in 2024 is, in her own way, convert people to rugby who were previously uninterested in it.
Rugby often talks about its values and inclusiveness as a sport during the big game. Nicknamed ‘a game for hooligans played by gentlemen,’ we pride ourselves on being a game for everyone.
Even that quote reveals reality. History will tell us anything about rugby. but An inclusive game – despite the ideals it preaches.
Ilona Maher and the phenomenon that surrounds her represent a sign of the times, a sign that rugby must embrace it if it aspires to be the sport it claims to be.
Ilona Maher. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
When she opens the stadium in Canberra, she will contribute to one of the biggest crowds the Wallaroos and Brumbies will see in years. I hope the Brumbies take advantage of this great opportunity with the biggest star in world rugby in this city.
I have seen the impact Maher has had on a personal as well as a large scale basis. My long-suffering partner watched rugby with me, took me to Wallabies Tests, put up with my highs and lows, but purely out of love and tolerance for this crazy game I play.
Ilona Maher got her and her friends more involved in rugby in six months than I achieved in ten years. She speaks their language. It may be different from the ‘traditional’ sensibility of a rugby fan, but we need to recognize that we come from the same place.
I guess I’m still a rookie in the larger scheme of things, journalists and people covering this crazy game since I first picked up my pen in 2016. That passion comes from years of watching stars like Matt Burke, Jonah Lomu, and Michael Hooper. Kolisi and Dupont.
I have never seen a player be as impactful as Ilona Maher in 2024. I think she’s only just getting started.
