From Rugby Field to TikTok Fame: Ilona Maher's Journey

US rugby and TikTok star Maher has made waves as a body positivity ambassador

Maher has solidified herself as a champion for frame positivity in addition to her rugby role /

By Priscilla Jepchumba

Maher, originally from Burlington, Vermont, started playing rugby at the age of 17 and continued her rugby career at Quinnipiac University for three years. She currently holds the position of center in the US women’s rugby team.

Maher's father, Meineke Maher, also has a rugby background, having played at St. Michael’s College in Vermont.

Maher has solidified herself as a champion for frame positivity in addition to her rugby role. Earlier in the month, she took to TikTok to reply to a troll who found fault with her weight and BMI.

Maher's entertaining Olympic-themed content on TikTok has garnered her a massive following, earning her millions of fans. Upon her arrival in France for the Paris 2024 Olympics, she humorously likened the Olympic Village to the popular reality dating show, Love Island.

In a video that has amassed over seven million views, Maher playfully had to be reminded that she's heading to the summer games to compete in rugby, not to search for love.

However, the comparisons to Love Island continued when she shared another viral video showing her teammate, Naya Tapper, getting another athlete's phone number. "Hey everyone, there's already some success in the villa," she joked in the TikTok video, sitting with Tapper in what seemed to be a cafeteria in the Olympic Village.

Tapper made it clear that she only received their social media account, not any phone numbers. “Well, she got an Insta,” Maher admitted. “She just stared this dude down. He stared at her. Then, he came over here.”

Maher chuckled while urging others to do the same with confident “eye contact” in order to catch the eye of potential romantic partners at the Olympics. “The power she has,” Maher added. “Power. Feminine wiles over here she’s using.”

While Maher has garnered a legion of enthusiasts online, she's additionally obtained rewards from well-known figures and A-listing faces.

The rugby super celebrity made touch with Coco Gauff during the Paris 2024 starting ceremony, in which she let the tennis champion know that she's played pickleball.

She additionally met Snoop Dogg, and posed with the rapper in every other viral TikTok from the Paris 2024 Olympics.