Ilona Maher moves from Dancing With the Stars to rugby in the UK
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Ilona Maher moves from Dancing With the Stars to rugby in the UK

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

Ilona Maher, America’s biggest rugby star and runner-up on Dancing With the Stars, has traveled to the UK to play for the Bristol Bears.

Maher announced the move on her TikTok account on Monday after months of speculation about her joining the Premiership Women’s Rugby League. Rumors began circulating in October that she had been negotiating with teams from Bristol or Gloucester, but the season began while Maher was still a contestant on the popular reality competition series Dancing With the Stars.

The show, which is filmed in Los Angeles, ended last week with Maher finishing in second place alongside her partner Alan Bersten. She added to speculation that her playing career was headed across the pond as she headed to London from an airport at the weekend.

But Maher eventually dispelled the rumors in videos on her social media, saying, “The eagle has landed.”

“I’m looking forward to calling Bristol home as we prepare for the 2025 Rugby World Cup, which will be held here in England,” Maher joked.

She further joked about whether she could “get a roast” after filming the video, saying that was a big reason she was there.

Maher has more than 3 million TikTok followers and another 4 million on Instagram. The 28-year-old athlete rose to fame during the Tokyo 2021 Olympics by posting hilarious TikToks from the Olympic Village as the Covid pandemic prevented fans and family from watching in person.

Her star has only brightened since the Tokyo Games, as Maher was part of the team that delivered the USA its first rugby title in 100 years.

Fans diligently followed her posts at the games in Paris this summer. The U.S. women’s team won bronze at the 2024 Olympics, marking the furthest the team has ever achieved at the Games.

After returning home, Maher took on another challenge and signed up for Dancing With the Stars. She described it as a show she used to watch with her family that was out of her comfort zone.

Alan Bersten and Ilona Maher continue to compete "Dancing with the stars."
Alan Bersten and Ilona Maher compete against each other on “Dancing With the Stars”.Eric McCandless/Disney

“I think I’m doing it again to show that rugby players are so multidimensional,” Maher told ABC’s “Good Morning America” ​​in September. “We go out on the field and we’re beasts, but I can be a beauty, I can dance, I can do all these things.”

Over the course of the show’s weeks, Maher occasionally struggled, even bursting into tears after a rough attempt at a jive. But fans praised the Olympian for her vulnerability and determination and voted for her week after week.

She was also the first female celebrity on the show to lift her partner while dancing.

Maher’s followers were thrilled to hear the news that she was joining the Bears, and her fellow “DWTS” cast members were among those cheering her on.

“Let’s go!!!!!! I’m so proud of you. And can’t wait to see you,” Bersten commented on Maher’s Instagram.

The Women’s Premiership Rugby League will also represent a slight change in format compared to what many are used to seeing Maher play in. It normally plays sevens rugby – with seven players per team, as is the style at the Olympics – but the league plays 15s, with 15 players per team.

The 15s not only have more players, the matches are also significantly longer. The smaller team is on the field for two 7-minute halves, while the traditional Rugby 15s is played in two 40-minute intervals.

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