U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher has made her debut for the Bristol Bears women’s team in front of a record home crowd of 9,240.

Ilona Maher made her Bristol Bears debut but could not prevent Gloucester-Hartpury scoring a valuable win in the race for a PWR top-four finish.

The pre-match metallic fireworks that erupted into the sky was English rugby’s way of welcoming its latest superstar. Ilona Maher, the most followed rugby player on social media and now as a cult heroine in the sport,

Ticket sales have broken a record ahead of U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher making her debut for the Bristol Bears women’s team.

Maher's presence for the game against champions Gloucester-Hartpury generated a Bristol record crowd of 9,240 for a women's game. Sunday's final crowd tally smashed the Bears' previous record of 4,101 and set the competition record.

From the Olympics to DWTS to Ashton Gate Stadium, Ilona Maher is on a roll. The American Bronze Medalist has signed a three-month contract with the Bristol Bears ahead of the 2025 Rugby World Cup. Maher kicks off her Bears journey with a match against reigning Premiership Women’s Rugby champions Gloucester-Hartpury this Sunday,

U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher made her debut for the Bristol Bears women's team in front of a record home crowd of 9,240 fans on Sunday. But Maher, "the most followed rugby player on the planet,” could not prevent Bristol from losing 40-17 to defending champion Gloucester-Hartpury in a Premiership Women’s Rugby match.

Ilona Maher's Bristol Bears debut attracted a club record crowd of 9,240 to Ashton Gate but the match ended in defeat against Gloucester-Hartpury on Sunday.