Ilona Maher
American rugby union player (born 1996)
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Key Takeaways
- Ilona Delsing Rosa Maher ( il- OH -nə MAR ; born August 12, 1996) is a professional rugby union player, Olympian, social media personality, and reality television star.
- In December 2024, she signed for Bristol Bears in the Premiership Women's Rugby league and began playing for them in January 2025.
- Maher took up rugby at age 17, and went on to win three National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) championships as a college player at Quinnipiac University.
- She is also known for her body positivity advocacy.
- Her mother is a Dutch native who works as a nurse.
Ilona Delsing Rosa Maher ( il-OH-nə MAR; born August 12, 1996) is a professional rugby union player, Olympian, social media personality, and reality television star. As of February 2026, she is currently not playing rugby and has not announced any plans to return to the game, but has remained active as an online personality.
In December 2024, she signed for Bristol Bears in the Premiership Women's Rugby league and began playing for them in January 2025. She won bronze with the United States in rugby sevens at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Maher took up rugby at age 17, and went on to win three National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) championships as a college player at Quinnipiac University. After debuting in 2018, she represented the United States national team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2024 Paris Olympics. She is also known for her body positivity advocacy.
Early life and education
Maher was born on August 12, 1996, in Burlington, Vermont, to Michael and Mieneke Maher. Her mother is a Dutch native who works as a nurse. Her father, who has Irish ancestry, is a former rugby player who previously played for Saint Michael's College. Maher has two sisters: older sister Olivia, who is Maher’s manager and a social media content creator known for coining the term "girl dinner" on TikTok; and younger sister Adrianna.
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