Source link : https://rugby-247.com/2024/12/06/the-woman-about-to-change-british-rugby-forever/
The world’s most followed rugby player has joined the Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) in a move which will revolutionise the future of the game.
Ilona Maher became the latest signing for Bristol Bears on Monday, quickstepping her way from Dancing with the Stars final a week ago in a bid to make the USA 15s team in the 2025 Women’s World Cup in England.
Maher won Rugby 7s bronze with the USA at the Paris 2024 Olympics, a summer which catapulted the 28-year-old into the limelight. And now Maher is set to not only invigorate the PWR but to make an impact beyond the pitch.
“It’s a fantastic window of opportunity for everyone at the club and the league to have an icon like Ilona sign for Bristol,” Bears fly-half Holly Aitchison tells The i Paper.
“It will show how entertaining and competitive our league and game is as she will bring more fans’ eyes to the PWR.”
In fact, if Maher asked for just a fifth of her nearly 8m combined followers to tune into her 5 January debut, the viewership would trump the 1.25m peak of the 2023-24 Gallagher men’s Premiership final between Bath and Northampton Saints.
It’s an impact which has already been felt as her debut in the West Country derby against Gloucester-Hartpury has been moved from the 2,000 capacity Shaftesbury Park to the 27,000 capacity Ashton Gate, due to “unprecedented demand” for tickets.
This is because Maher is a marketing goldmine, something her new team picked up on following the influx of followers on their social media. As a result, they have announced a new social media manager role for the remainder of the season, tasked with documenting Maher’s chapter at the Bears.
The Eagle had a more than respectable 580,000 followers on Instagram before the summer, but through her continually relatable content, she has landed herself a whopping 4.6m.
Maher has built up millions of followers (Photo: Getty)
This 693 per cent increase dwarfs previously most followed player and South Africa men’s captain Siya Kolisi’s 1.4m followers and makes the World Rugby account seem more like a Maher fan page.
But in a move which has raised some eyebrows, the role will be paid more than most of Maher’s teammates, due to the PWR’s low £220,000 salary cap shared across the team.
Professionalism in the women’s game has only just started, and many players will not be on pay packets to live on.
Maggie Alphonsi tells The i Paper there is a “fine balance that needs to be found,” to ensure as the more Maher appears across social media the more fans will be generated for the Bears, creating a big turn on investment.
“She has injected a positive new level of attention to the women’s game, giving it a boost and attention to help shine a light on all the other athletes around her.”
While the three-month contract was signed by Maher to add to her two caps in the 15s to help get her name on the USA World Cup team sheet, Alphonsi believes she could be the missing piece Bristol need to complete their championship puzzle.
Dave Ward’s side currently sit in fourth after a far from straightforward start to the season. Following their narrow miss to lift the trophy last season, failing to topple PWR titans Gloucester-Hartpury, Maher’s fast-paced style of play could see them over the line.
Maher has a proven ability to be a dominant force on the pitch and her power and skill will make her an exciting new team member to develop the Bears’ entertaining style of play.
“To have Ilona at our disposal in the backline will be a real weapon, and her skills give her a platform to thrive in 15s,” Aitchinson says.
“Having played against her in 7s, I’m looking forward to having her on my team this time for sure.”
By the looks of it, Maher has cemented her reputation as a formidable player before even stepping onto the pitch this season. The pressure will be on as international eyes will now look to the league to see the biggest star in the sport develop her 15s game.
Maher’s arrival will showcase what many have believed for years, that this is the best women’s league in the world, creating more incentive for broadcasters to shine a spotlight on these matches.
With the Women’s World Cup around the corner, it is about time too.
Maher will be keen to be on the USA team sheet for 22 August in what is sure to be amongst the most watched of the tournament as the USA takes on England at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland for the opening match.
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Author : rugby-247
Publish date : 2024-12-06 16:45:44
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