Ilona Maher’s Bristol bow expected to double record crowd for women’s side

Presence of the most followed rugby player on the planet will attract over 8,000 fans to Ashton Gate on Sunday

Making a debut for a new club is a day every player will remember in their career but not everyone’s first game will be a landmark moment for an entire league and break a record before the player has even stepped on the pitch. That is the reality for Ilona Maher as the USA international prepares to play her first game for Bristol on Sunday as she starts from the bench against Gloucester-Hartpury in Premiership Women’s Rugby.

Maher, who is the most followed rugby player on the planet with more than eight million followers across multiple social media platforms, signed for the club last month to become the league’s biggest signing. She has made the move to 15s rugby from sevens in a bid to make the USA squad for the Rugby World Cup, taking place in England later this year.

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