US rugby sevens star and social media sensation Ilona Maher made her eagerly anticipated debut for Bristol in the English women's Premiership on Sunday but could not prevent defeat for her new side.
The versatile American back, who won Olympic bronze at the 2024 Paris Games, has more than eight million followers across Instagram and TikTok, making her the world's most followed rugby player.
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The 28-year-old, who has signed a three-month contract with Bristol, was also a runner-up in the most recent series of US television show Dancing With The Stars.
Maher's presence for the game against champions Gloucester-Hartpury generated a Bristol record crowd of 9,240 for a women's game.
Sunday's final crowd tally smashed the Bears' previous record of 4,101 and set the competition record.
She came off the bench for the final 20 minutes at Ashton Gate to huge cheers but was unable to make a major impact and Bristol went down to a 40-17 defeat.
"Once I did get on the field I felt like 'this is rugby', something I've been doing for the past 10 years now, something that is in my blood I think, so I felt really confident once I got there," Maher said via BBC
"Each game I'm going to learn more and more. You do learn more by losing, but it puts a fire in you for the next game."
Maher has not played 15s rugby since 2021 but is aiming to gain selection for the US squad for the Women's Rugby World Cup, taking place in England later this year.
Her arrival at the English Premiership club has boosted replica shirt sales, while Bristol's Instagram following has soared from 21,000 to 67,000.
