US rugby star Ilona Maher celebrates her first start for Bristol Bears with a try

By The Associated Press

Bristol Bears' Ilona Maher warms up ahead of the Premiership Women's Rugby match between Bristol Bears and Gloucester Hartpury at Ashton Gate, Bristol, England, Sunday Jan. 5, 2025. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Adam Davy]

EXETER, England (AP) — U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher has celebrated her first start for the Bristol Bears by powering over for a try in a 41-31 victory at the Exeter Chiefs. Maher, the most followed rugby player on social media, ran over half the field at Sandy Park and bumped off two tackles in a 55th-minute try made possible by her pace and power. Maher told TNT Sports: “I don’t go around them, always go through.” It was the winger’s second Premiership Women’s Rugby match in England. The Vermont native is returning to the 15-a-side game in hopes of boosting her chances of making the U.S. team for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England. She can play at wing or center.