World’s most followed rugby player taken to task

If you haven’t heard of Ilona Maher yet, now’s the time. Recently confirmed as the most followed rugby player on Instagram, the USA Sevens icon has risen to fame in recent years thanks to her insatiable skills on the field, as well as her charismatic personality off it.

The 27-year-old Vermonter has more than 1.4 million followers on Instagram and another 1.6 million on TikTok. Since her brand made a name for itself at the last Games in Tokyo, she has introduced many young women and girls in the US and around the world to the sport.

“It’s really important to have a profile, and a profile for our sport,” Maher recently told the Guardian: “It’s about building the brand. We’re female rugby players – we don’t get multi-million dollar contracts, we don’t get the money we should. My friends and I are all about raising awareness for the game and getting noticed. That’s important in the US, where there’s so much focus on other sports. And I think it’s just about showing the personality that women have. The game is very strong, not just for men, but for women as well.”

Her performances in these games have once again been nothing short of amazing, and she has built up a remarkable following as the tournament has progressed. With her teammates ready to go into battle alongside her this afternoon as they take on the mighty All Blacks in the semi-final, fans from all over the world will be cheering on their new hero.

Although Maher is at the peak of her career heading into the latter rounds, she has had her challenges getting here, most recently in the previous round against Great Britain. A solid performance from the Americans secured a relatively comfortable win over the Brits, but no one can say their opponents didn’t give it their all.

There’s even a hit song circulating online about Maher by Jasmine Joyce, in which the much smaller lady shows what it takes to pull off a huge tackle.

Check it out here:

Paris 2024 Olympic Games Quarterfinals Results

There are only four teams left in the main tournament after a thrilling quarter-final round in which three of the favourites advanced. One team pulled off a huge Olympic upset at the Stade de France.

New Zealand proved far too strong as they defeated a Chinese side who had unfortunately gone a step too far. The match ended 55-5 with seven Black Ferns getting their names on the scoreboard.

Great Britain saw their elimination confirmed by a strong American team. The US continued their impressive performance with a 7-17 victory over the combined nations.

Hosts France were devastated and in visible tears on the pitch as their quarter-final opponents Canada stunned the Stade de France by edging out the hosts 14-19 in a thrilling match. Despite trying to unlock the Canadian defence in the dying seconds, the visitors held firm.

In the end, tournament favorites Australia were barely visible as Charlotte Caslick and her friends played around as if they were just in 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