Ilona Maher is celebrating another huge career win after finishing in second place on Dancing With the Stars Season 33 last month.
The 28-year-old Olympic rugby player announced on Monday, Dec. 2 that she had joined England’s Premiership Women’s Rugby League and would be playing for the Bristol Bears for the upcoming season.
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Maher, rocking her new Bears jersey, shared her big news in an Instagram video, saying that she was “so excited to join the Bristol Bears and play Premiership Women’s Rugby with and against some of the best rugby players in the world.” The Olympic rugby sevens bronze medallist continued that she’s “looking forward to calling Bristol home as we gear up for rugby World Cup 2025 played here in England.”
The video also showed off Maher’s signature sense of humor with some blooper-esque moments from the athlete. “Are there actually bears here?” the Vermont native asked of her new home in the U.K. “Because I don’t know what to…are grizzly bears the nice ones? Black bears are the mean ones right?” She continued to joke, “Just a question — is it gonna be this cold the whole time? It’s a little, little chilly.”
Maher’s DWTS pro partner, Alan Bersten, was quick to cheer her on in the comments, writing, “Let’s go!!!!!!! I’m so proud of you. And can’t wait to see you kill it!” Former Bachelor and DWTS Season 33 winner Joey Graziedei added in another comment, “LETS GOOOOO.”
“This is a huge coup to be able to bring Ilona Maher to Bristol Bears on a short-term deal. She is one of the biggest names in women’s sport, let alone rugby, and we believe she will add real value to our programme on and off the field,” said Bristol Bears Head Coach Dave Ward in a statement. “Ilona is one of the standout stars in the sevens game and we can’t wait to see her play for Bears in XVs. Her ability ball in hand will give our attack a new dimension and her desire to star in the Rugby World Cup in England next summer is a huge driving force for her to achieve great things at Bears.”
He continued, “Her profile as an athlete to inspire the next generation aligns exactly with ours as a club and we can only applaud the work she has and will do for the women’s game.”
In another statement, Maher said, “I am excited to join the Bristol Bears and put myself in the best position to earn a spot to represent USA in the 2025 Rugby World Cup alongside such a talented and driven group as the Bears.”
