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The feeling of social media Ilona Maher said that XV rugby should undergo a change in culture if sport wanted to attract new fans.
Maher, who won bronze in seven rugby with the United States at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, has more than eight million followers on Instagram and Tiktok, which makes her the most followed rugby player world.
She was also a finalist in the most recent series of the American television program “Dancing with the stars”.
Maher, 28, signed a three -month contract with the English female team of Premiership de Bristol, in the hope of being part of the American team for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England later this year.
The versatile back has already made its presence felt, helping to attract a record crowd to Bristol for a female match when it made its debut against Gloucester-Hartpury in Ashton Gate.
And she marked her first departure for Bristol by marking a spectacular test to inspire a 41-31 victory against her southwest rival, Exeter on Sunday.
“It’s great to have all these record figures, but what we want is that they come back for the next match,” said Maher at a press conference on Wednesday.
“Only once, it’s not enough. I sprinkle a little here. But we need people to continue to come. It’s not just me alone.”
– ‘Stoic sport’ –
Maher urged rugby to break the channels he has imposed himself, declaring: “We are a very stoic sport in a certain way. I would like to see more personalities in male football.
“We see him a little with a player like (the old English pillar) Joe Marler, but I don’t think of many others who have that. I would like them to show it more.
“There is a culture of rugby that we have to change. It is an incredible sport, but also an ancient sport where the same things have happened for years.
“We continue to discuss how we can involve young people in the game. These people are online. We have to change our state of mind if we want sport to evolve.”
England is preparing to organize the largest female world cup in August and September, the organizers aimed at a closed -stop -up final at 82,000 spectators in Twickenham, the headquarters of the English Rugby Union.
“More women need to use it to make themselves known,” said Maher. “I went to the Olympic Games (she was part of the American seven rugby team) knowing that people were made of that – (the gymnast) Simone Biles, (the swimmer) Michael Phelps.
“I arrived in Paris knowing that I was lucky to flourish and I went there with the intention of publishing a lot of videos. Can we approach the World Cup with a plan for players to publish More videos?
“I want to show that you can do both: playing good rugby and publishing good videos. We are all responsible for capitalizing on this World Cup.”
Maher added: “To make yourself known is the way you establish links with people … If we want it to develop, it’s up to us. We have to do more, it’s just the simple fact of that .
JDG/GJ
