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52m ago

Team Barbie Adds Rugby Stars as Mattel Sets 2026 Release for Muscular Ilona Maher Doll

The campaign couples athlete likenesses with funding for girls’ sports to encourage confidence.

“If sharing my story can inspire other young girls to believe in themselves the way I have, then I’ll have truly made an impact,” Maher said.
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One-Of-A-Kind Barbie dolls made in the likeness of Ellie Kildunne, 2024 World Rugby Player of the Year and key member of England Rugby’s Red Roses team, Ilona Maher, rugby player who won a bronze medal with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Nassira Konde, French rugby union and sevens player who won a silver medal with the French sevens team at the Tokyo Olympics, and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, New Zealand rugby union player who is a two-time Olympic and World Champion, stand in London, September 2025. Mattel/Handout via REUTERS
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Overview

  • Mattel introduced one-of-a-kind dolls for Ilona Maher, Ellie Kildunne, Portia Woodman‑Wickliffe and Nassira Konde as part of Team Barbie.
  • Maher’s doll is the only version slated for retail, with a fall 2026 launch confirmed by the company.
  • The figure debuts a first-of-its-kind muscular sculpt featuring a more athletic torso plus visibly defined arms, shoulders, legs, core and back.
  • Maher said she insisted on broad shoulders and strong arms so girls could see themselves in the doll.
  • Mattel announced donations to girls’ sports organizations in the U.S., U.K., New Zealand and France, as online reactions praised the visibility push and questioned whether the physique looked muscular enough.