Ilona Maher Reveals Devastating Rugby Injury: ‘Truly Not OK’

Olympic rugby star Ilona Maher is on the mend after a rough collision during a recent match with her new team, the Bristol Bears.

Ilona Maher, who won a bronze medal with the U.S. Women’s Rugby Team at the 2024 Summer Olympics, recently relocated to England to join the Bristol squad and is already navigating the physical toll of the sport.

The 28-year-old athlete took to Instagram on Saturday, January 18, to share a candid update with her followers.

“When people keep asking me if I’m OK but I just broke my nose,” she captioned a video of herself holding an ice pack to her face. In the clip, Maher lip-synced to the phrase, “Been better, Carrie Ann,” referencing a moment from last year when "Dancing with the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba gave her tough feedback on a performance.

“No sir, I am truly not OK,” Maher added, blending humor with honesty as she dealt with the aftermath of the injury.

While the initial swelling on Maher’s face subsided within hours, a faint purple bruise around her eye served as a lingering reminder of the match’s intensity. Undeterred, the rugby star continued to find humor in the situation.

In a follow-up video posted on Sunday, January 19, Maher joked about how people might perceive her injury. “Guys, stop fighting over me,” she quipped. “There’s enough to go around. What? I am a model. Thank you so much. Oh, you’ve already fallen in love? It’ll pass.”

Almost an hour and a half after the final whistle at Ashton Gate, Maher remained at pitch side, greeting fans one by one and posing for photos. Despite the cold January weather, the American rugby star showed no rush, savoring every moment with the devoted crowd.

Maher’s on-field contribution may have been limited to 20 minutes during Bristol Bears' defeat to rivals Gloucester-Hartpury, but her influence extended far beyond the game. The energy she brought reverberated throughout the stadium, marking a significant moment for women’s domestic rugby union in the UK.

Maher’s arrival at Bristol Bears in December had already made waves across the rugby community. Her signing was so impactful that the club moved this fixture from their usual home ground, Shaftesbury Park, to the larger Ashton Gate.

The decision paid off spectacularly. A record-breaking 9,240 fans attended the match, shattering the Bears' previous attendance record of 4,101 against Harlequins in May 2022. This also set a new Premiership Women’s Rugby record for a standalone game, highlighting Maher’s star power and the growing appetite for women’s rugby.

Reflecting on her post-game interaction with the fans, Maher said, "I saw the line of people out there [after full-time] and was like, 'I'm going to take as many photos as I can.' They bought a seat, and that seat is going to lead to hopefully some more seats. Fans are the revenue we need to bring in to make this league bigger."

Maher’s commitment to engaging with supporters speaks to her understanding of the broader mission: growing the sport. "It's almost - I feel - my duty. They're doing so much, so I want to do more for them," she added.

Although Maher is only on a three-month deal with Bristol Bears, her impact has already been profound. She joined the team to switch back to XVs rugby in hopes of securing a spot with the USA for the Rugby World Cup this summer. Despite the brevity of her stay, fans have embraced her wholeheartedly, with many donning jerseys emblazoned with her name.

"I've seen the power in it, I've seen the power of people connecting with the individual and then going to the sport," Maher said. "If we can have more people connect with Holly Aitchison, Jaz Joyce, Evie Gallagher, that brings them in. That's my goal."

Maher’s debut is a shining example of the potential for women’s rugby to draw large audiences and inspire the next generation of players. Her presence at Ashton Gate wasn’t just a win for Bristol Bears but for women’s rugby as a whole.

"I love being a superstar and people call me the superstar of rugby but that's not enough for the sport, we can't just have one superstar," she added. "We need to have more, we need to have people connecting with so many different players and that is what will grow our game.