If you’ve not heard of Ilona Maher yet, you’re about to. Recently confirmed as the most followed rugby player on Instagram, the USA Sevens icon has flown to fame in recent years thanks to her insatiable skills on the pitch as much as her charismatic personality off of it.
The 27-year-old from Vermont has over 1.4m followers on Instagram and 1.6m more on TikTok and has been responsible for introducing many young women and girls to the sport in the US and around the world since her brand took off back in the previous games in Tokyo.
“It is really important to have a profile, and a profile for our sport,” Maher recently told the Guardian. “It’s about building the brand. We are female rugby players – we’re not getting million dollar contracts, we’re not getting paid the money that we should be. Me and my friends are keen on getting the sport out there and getting us noticed. It’s important in the US where so much attention is on other sports. And I think it’s just about showing the personality that the women have. The game is very strong, not just for men, but for women too.”
My favorite thing about the Olympics is Ilona Maher. Follow her on IG or TT, she’s authentic, funny, sweet and it’s refreshing. https://t.co/RCd8SIa4eC pic.twitter.com/P25jXAwxwf
— Ariadna Jacob (@littlemissjacob) July 27, 2024
Her performances in these games have been nothing less than terrific once again, building a remarkable following as the tournament has progressed. With her teammates ready to go to war alongside her this afternoon as they face the mighty All Blacks in the semi-final, fans from around the world will be cheering along their newfound hero.
Ilona Maher just Derrick Henry’ed a Japanese player #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/gLIdGQwnjb
— Lindsey 🌴🥥 (@LuLu_Vue) July 28, 2024
Although Maher finds herself at the peak of her career heading into the final rounds, she’s had her challenges to get here, most recently in the previous round against Great Britain. A solid performance from the Americans ensured a relatively comfortable victory over the Brits, but no one can say that their opponents didn’t give it their all.
In fact, one particular hit from Jasmine Joyce on Maher has been doing the rounds online, with the much smaller lady proving just what it takes to make a huge tackle.
Check it out here:
WHAT A COVER TACKLE 💥@TeamGB‘s Jasmine Joyce stops Ilona Maher from scoring a certain try!#BBCOlympics #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Adcy89VDUo
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 29, 2024
2024 Paris Olympic Sevens quarter-final results
Just four teams remain in the main tournament after a blockbuster quarter-final round saw three of the favourites barge through, with one falling in a great Olympic upset at the Stade de France.
New Zealand proved far too strong as they overcame a Chinese side that had sadly stepped just one stage too far. The match finished 55-5 with seven Black Ferns getting their names on the scoresheet.
Great Britain had their exit confirmed by an in-form American side, as the USA continued their impressive display with a 7-17 victory over the combined nations.
Hosts France were left devastated and in visible tears on the field as their quarter-final opponents Canada shocked the Stade de France by knocking out the hosts 14-19 in a closely fought match. Despite trying to unlock the Canadian defence in the dying seconds, the visitors held strong.
Finally, tournament favourites Australia barely broke a sweat as Charlotte Caslick and friends played around as if they were simply down their local park without a care in the world. 40-7 to the girls in gold.
Semi Finals:
New Zealand vs USA
Canada vs Australia
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