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4d ago

Ilona Maher Open to Breakaway Women's Rugby Leagues if Pay Is Fair Ahead of World Cup Opener

Her outsized profile is pushing investment into women's rugby.

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Ilona Maher (C) has given women's rugby a huge platform to build on through her social media presence and promotion of body positivity
Maher appreciates how her fame was made possible by previous trailblazing women sports stars like footballer Mia Hamm

Overview

  • Maher told ESPN she would consider joining a breakaway competition but insisted organizers must pay female players what they are worth.
  • The United States play England in Friday's World Cup opener in Sunderland, with World Rugby placing content creators inside teams to drive social coverage.
  • ESPN reports that R360 plans a women's league launch in September 2026 and that sources place Maher at the top of its target list.
  • She is currently the most-followed rugby player online, with about 5.2 million followers on Instagram and 3.6 million on TikTok.
  • Her post‑Paris bronze rise has delivered mainstream exposure and tangible commercial effects, from a Sports Illustrated feature and Dancing with the Stars to Bristol Bears moving her debut to Ashton Gate and a reported $4 million donation by investor Michele Kang to U.S. women's sevens.