Olympic medallist Ilona Maher: 'Female athletes are truly amazing'

Team USA’s Ilona Maher has had a whirlwind week, winning an Olympic bronze medal as part of a thrilling victory over Australia and reaching two million followers on Instagram.

Speaking to the media after their win, Maher said: “It [the medal] means how worthy and valuable our team is and that we have a lot more to come. We wanted to do this to show what rugby could be in America and we had to prove our word because America loves medals, they love winning.

“It was really important for us to do this to show that we can be something and to get other young girls to aspire to do this. We did it for our programme because we say in rugby a lot we want to pass through the jersey, it's not yours, it's the next person's.

“We want to make the jersey better. I think today, we really made the jersey better so that other young girls can grow up wanting to play rugby, wanting to be professional, wanting to live the life we live where we travel the world and go to the Olympics."

The bronze medal was decided in dramatic fashion when Alex "Spiff" Sedrick sped away from 95 metres out in the dying seconds of the match to draw the scores level before adding the match-winning conversion to her stunning score.

"I'll give my firstborn child to Spiff," Maher said with a laugh. "For her to have to make the kick as well, she's not our kicker. In warm-ups, she was practising and I thought 'Why is Spiff practising a kick?' For her to make that, which yes, it was in front of the posts, but that s**t is hard, you're under pressure.

"I couldn't even believe it. I'm so impressed by her. She's been an MVP for me for this whole season. People need to take notice of her."

Maher, who is currently the most-followed rugby player on Instagram with two million followers and a further 1.9 million on TikTok, additionally reinforced the importance of showing that she can be successful in both social media and rugby, and beyond.

"I think they [people online] think ‘Oh she's funny online but can she deliver?’ It was important to me to show I am funny, but I'm also the real deal, I'm also a very good rugby player,” the two-time Olympian said.

“You can be many things. I think they put female athletes in a box and stereotype us as one thing, and it's always important for me to show that you can be anything.

“You can be 'Beast, Beauty, Brains' as I say, you can be feminine on the field, you can feel beautiful, you can stiff arm and tackle people, you can also be smart. Female athletes are truly so amazing.”

Interest in and engagement with rugby sevens, particularly as a result of the Olympics, has soared over recent days. Attendance records were broken for women’s rugby on consecutive days at the Stade de France, and a cumulative figure of 260,000 fans was reached.

Team USA were also widely recognised for their achievement on social media, with the likes of Michelle Obama sharing their accolade on both her X and Instagram profiles in addition to praise and celebration from thousands of others.

The Olympics provides a huge opportunity for the growth of many sports, and judging by the discourse on social media, the number of rugby sevens fans has massively risen in North America and further afield over the past week.

Additionally, for the athletes, the Games provides an opportunity for their sport to be highlighted among their Olympian compatriots as well as those from around the world as athletes rub shoulders in the Olympic Village.

“I have always said if you just watch rugby sevens, you'll be hooked on it,” Maher stressed.

“It's so exciting, it's a fun game to watch and I think America would love it. It was so cool to see our sport, and even the Olympians in the Team USA building, these guys were watching us and they didn't know what rugby was but they were taking notice of us and they don't usually. The big sports are gymnastics and swimming, but people were watching rugby."

The bronze medal, the first Olympic medal won by a USA sevens team, marks a significant marker in the growth of the sport.

With a home Olympic Games in 2028 and Men's and Women's Rugby World Cups being hosted in America in 2031  and 2033 respectively, the USA’s recent achievement is at a somewhat ideal time to boost momentum further ahead of those landmark events.

"It's a medal again,” she said of Team USA’s aspirations for LA 2028. “We've seen that we can't take it lightly going to play at home.

“France is one of the best teams in the world and they are always so physical, so dominant, so good but sevens doesn't give a f**k if it's your home tournament, it's not going to give a f**k if it's our home tournament in LA.

“We're going to have to bring even more, if anything it's going to be even more stress on us. We're very excited but it's going to be a four-year preparation for that.”

Maher started playing rugby at the age of 17, and went on to play collegiate rugby at Quinnipiac University, something she believes shaped her into the player and person she is today.

"I think it really prepared me. Honestly, that level was a little bit tougher than this at times and very strict," she explained.

“It made me the person I am today, I did rugby and nursing there so it was a lot but I had a great coach Becky Carlson who led me through it.

“I might not always have seen eye-to-eye at times but now I have the utmost respect for her and for what she's done and for what I've done. She really helped shape me into this player, and she believed in me. I wanted to transfer and she was like yeah, come over here, and I got to go to a great university."

The 27-year-old is keen to keep the growth of the game going, particularly through the collegiate system.

"We need to have people not just coming in after college, we need to have those athletes wanting to choose it. All of us are athletes who definitely chose it, and we need those people who played the varsity basketball, the high-level soccer, to come and want to play rugby and choose it. Sevens is a sport for athletes, rugby needs to be their first choice."

Support for women’s rugby in the USA has now additionally been bolstered by a landmark $4 million investment from businesswoman Michele Kang following the Olympic bronze medal.

When announcing the funding to the team, Kang said: "I wanted to help, so I had some conversations last night and this morning and I have committed $1 million a year for the next four years, and this is to get you guys to win the gold medal."

She added in a quote shared on the USA Rugby social media beside a picture of her and Maher: "I am so happy to support these outstanding athletes to realize their dream in capturing the gold in Los Angeles 2028. That work starts now. As corporate sponsors and broadcast networks increasingly see the value and enthusiasm for women's sports, now is the moment to unlock the full potential of these incredible female athletes and inspire generations to come."

Kang, a trailblazer in her field and passionate backer of women’s sport, currently owns Washington Spirit and is a co-owner of Olympique Lyonnais Féminin and London City Lionesses.

The investment will be put towards growing the sport, particularly through advancements in recourses for players and coaching staff.