We remember Rugby icon Ilona Maher’s 2024 Sports Illustrated appearance, right? It was unapologetic and a winner in the true sense of the term. Posting a snap from the shoot on its official Instagram account, SI captioned it perfectly: “When we say #beastbeautybrains THIS is what we mean.” It is a compliment the Vermont native has earned by fetching the country its first bronze in rugby sevens at the Paris Olympics. She has redefined femininity by balancing sports on the one hand and her on-stage DWTS appearance on the other. But now, she is back to her usual business.
But hold on, her SI episode is not over, far from it. Along with Olivia Dunne, Brooks Nader, Lauren Chan, and others, the Olympian was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda for the 2025 issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. The women seemed to have the time of their lives during the photoshoot against the stunning backdrop of Bermuda. But even amid her magazine appearances, Ilona Maher has something else on her mind: Rugby, and she is all set to leave her fans in awe again!
“Secrets out. The USA fifteens team are a bunch of dime pieces,” captioned the US rugby player on her latest Instagram reel posted on May 16, 2025. The reel begins with Maher pulling off a play-pretending to be all shy and coy and immediately cuts to the rest of the team following suit. But here’s what, they are all donning jerseys! She is in Canberra, Australia, all set to take on the Wallaroos on Saturday. But amid the task of representing her country overseas, she had to give her glam moments a miss.
The 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue launch was a dazzling affair, kicking off with a glamorous red-carpet event at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York City. The evening featured appearances by cover stars such as Salma Hayek, Jordan Chiles, Olivia Dunne, and Lauren Chan, celebrating their unique contributions to sports and culture. Complementing the launch, the SI Swimsuit Social Club hosted a two-day, members-only pop-up at Moonlight Studios in SoHo on May 16–17.
The team has been training for the 2025 Rugby World Cup, to be held in England from August 22 to September 27, 2025. This tournament marks the tenth edition of the Women’s Rugby World Cup and more importantly, it is also a kind of debut for the DWTS star.
An important World Cup for Ilona Maher
Ilona Maher has been a cornerstone of the USA Rugby Sevens team, with standout performances at the 2018 and 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens. In 2018, she cemented her name on the international stage by scoring a sensational 50-yard try in the quarterfinals against Russia, pushing Team USA into the semifinals. Four years later, in Cape Town, Maher once again proved clutch—scoring a match-winning try against Canada in the dying minutes of the quarterfinal.
Despite her success in sevens, Maher has expressed a desire to transition into the 15s format, aiming to compete in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. To that end, she signed a three-month contract with the Bristol Bears in December 2024, marking her debut in the Premiership Women’s Rugby league. In her first match against Gloucester-Hartpury, Maher came off the bench in the 61st minute, contributing to the team’s performance in a 40–17 loss.
The Rugby Sevens World Cup features 7 players per team, with fast-paced 14-minute matches over a few days. The Rugby 15s World Cup has 15 players per side, 80-minute games, and runs over several weeks with more emphasis on physicality and strategy. So when she enters the 15s World Cup this year in England, it would be her first time playing with 15 players. How is she playing? Let us know your thoughts.
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