Ilona Maher remains coy over future following Bristol Bears' huge Harlequins win - 'I have to see where life takes me'
Published 14/02/2025 at 22:45 GMT
Bristol Bears beat Harlequins 19-10, boosting their chances of squeezing into the PWR playoffs with a huge win at The Stoop. Whether the Bears make it into the playoffs is out of their hands, as they wait to see the result between Saracens and Exeter Chiefs on Saturday. If the Bears fail to make the semi-finals, it may have been the last outing for Ilona Maher in a Bristol shirt,
'I have to see where life takes me' - Maher on potential future in PWR
Video credit: TNT Sports
Bristol Bears' fate is out of their hands, but the West Country club increased their chances of clinching a Premiership Women's Rugby play-off spot with a 19-10 win over Harlequins on Friday - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
A win at The Stoop was vital for fourth-place Bears, and it put them seven points ahead of Exeter Chiefs, who have two games in hand over Bristol.
Chiefs travel to face Saracens at the StoneX Stadium and should they leave that game with anything less than two points, Bristol's efforts at The Stoop would not have been in vain.
Whether they secure a spot in the semis remains to be seen, but an immediate and obvious downside of Bristol not reaching the play-offs, would be that fans might have already seen star signing Ilona Maher step out on to their pitch for the last time.
"I think there's relief," Maher said on TNT Sports following the Bears' win. "We have more to do. Hopefully now, depending on other results, we have two more games to go and I think we've proved that we're meant to be in that semi-final."
The American has used her influence to smash PWR attendance records as she acclimated to life in the 15-a-side game before the Women's Rugby World Cup in England this summer.
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"It's been really amazing," she added. "What's so special is the women, they are truly some of the most welcoming. From the first week I was here I felt like I was part of the team, and you don't get that in a lot of teams. They treated me like an equal and I really felt like I was part of it.
"I'm learning so much, I just wanted to prepare myself as best as I can for the USA and I think this is a great environment to do it. But I still have so much more to learn, and when you have a game each week there's just so much else you've got to know."
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Maher is at Ashton Gate on a three-month deal as she looks to improve her chances of selection for the USA, but she has made an instant impact in the league.
Her first game against Gloucester-Hartpury attracted a crowd of over 9,000, setting a new record attendance for the club and for a standalone PWR game.
Maher has played in six of Bristol’s last seven league matches, scoring four tries in total.
"It's just so cool," she said about attracting more fans to games. "If I'm what gets them in the door, awesome, but I hope they get to see the rugby being played and come back for the next game and the next season when I'm not playing. So I love that they're coming for me, I just hope they stay."
While the Rugby World Cup is her main target, Maher kept the door open for a potential return to Bristol and the PWR.
Maher said: "I have to see where life takes me. I think I'm trying to build something here for myself and my own brand and if it's here, then I love that."
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Stream the Gallagher Premiership and Premiership Women's Rugby on TNT Sports and discovery+
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