Interview
PWR
Ilona Maher
USA Women
Nationality 
Age
28
Position
Centre
Height
178cm
Ilona Maher News
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Analysis
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Bio
Ilona Maher is a powerful American rugby union player who has represented the United States women’s sevens team as a centre or a prop since 2018.
Maher was born on 12 August 1996 in Burlington, Vermont. She didn’t start playing rugby until she was 17 years old. However, she was ultimately encouraged to take up the sport by her father, who was also a rugby player.
Her talents were clear immediately, and she led her Quinnipiac University team to three National Intercollegiate Rugby Association championships. She was also awarded the MA Sorensen Award for National Player of the Year in 2017.
The following year, she joined the USA Rugby sevens team for the first time. She then participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where the team finished sixth. She returned to the Olympics in 2024 and helped her side win bronze.
By the completion of the tournament, she was also the most followed rugby player in the world, with over four million Instagram followers. She’s known for her advocacy of body positivity and the increased awareness of women’s sports.
Maher has had a significant impact on women’s rugby, both on and off the field. With a strong career still ahead of her, we can’t wait to see what’s next for Maher.
