The Japan Times - Social media star Maher says rugby union must do more to grow game

EUR -
AED 3.832604
AFN 79.302548
ALL 98.345388
AMD 416.213474
ANG 1.88158
AOA 953.195728
ARS 1092.497295
AUD 1.657158
AWG 1.880827
AZN 1.775131
BAM 1.962787
BBD 2.108004
BDT 127.320206
BGN 1.958457
BHD 0.393306
BIF 3041.670362
BMD 1.043455
BND 1.416529
BOB 7.214615
BRL 6.144903
BSD 1.044017
BTN 90.200246
BWP 14.490447
BYN 3.416731
BYR 20451.711527
BZD 2.097146
CAD 1.49658
CDF 2968.62876
CHF 0.945725
CLF 0.037418
CLP 1032.487813
CNY 7.605432
CNH 7.598484
COP 4414.867142
CRC 526.870595
CUC 1.043455
CUP 27.651549
CVE 110.953472
CZK 25.103391
DJF 185.443007
DKK 7.460466
DOP 64.078047
DZD 140.965539
EGP 52.472728
ERN 15.65182
ETB 136.327656
FJD 2.409307
FKP 0.859376
GBP 0.843584
GEL 2.984038
GGP 0.859376
GHS 15.859523
GIP 0.859376
GMD 75.128582
GNF 9031.100182
GTQ 8.06853
GYD 218.425495
HKD 8.128053
HNL 26.61286
HRK 7.700224
HTG 136.444431
HUF 409.900238
IDR 16917.008833
ILS 3.735912
IMP 0.859376
INR 90.188761
IQD 1366.925617
IRR 43916.331343
ISK 145.895667
JEP 0.859376
JMD 164.132735
JOD 0.740329
JPY 162.666226
KES 135.125685
KGS 91.248336
KHR 4206.165454
KMF 493.127499
KPW 939.109319
KRW 1497.003017
KWD 0.32153
KYD 0.870089
KZT 543.599991
LAK 22747.311736
LBP 93493.538884
LKR 311.742325
LRD 203.421866
LSL 19.293371
LTL 3.08105
LVL 0.631176
LYD 5.128612
MAD 10.43089
MDL 19.47113
MGA 4925.106292
MKD 61.790503
MMK 3389.100065
MNT 3545.65908
MOP 8.376741
MRU 41.613195
MUR 48.478964
MVR 16.080055
MWK 1811.961908
MXN 21.182897
MYR 4.637137
MZN 66.686871
NAD 19.293269
NGN 1626.224488
NIO 38.427018
NOK 11.737749
NPR 144.320394
NZD 1.836244
OMR 0.40165
PAB 1.044007
PEN 3.872784
PGK 4.176167
PHP 61.176701
PKR 290.758449
PLN 4.210601
PYG 8255.190464
QAR 3.799207
RON 4.975396
RSD 117.113183
RUB 104.214055
RWF 1452.4889
SAR 3.913743
SBD 8.842995
SCR 14.91121
SDG 627.116517
SEK 11.467327
SGD 1.412655
SHP 0.859376
SLE 23.677596
SLL 21880.722614
SOS 596.341121
SRD 36.630502
STD 21597.404937
SVC 9.135303
SYP 13566.9976
SZL 19.293581
THB 35.414801
TJS 11.427071
TMT 3.662526
TND 3.333055
TOP 2.443872
TRY 37.195339
TTD 7.097198
TWD 34.113451
TZS 2625.331861
UAH 43.849382
UGX 3847.660691
USD 1.043455
UYU 45.691786
UZS 13570.127942
VES 58.11215
VND 26222.01585
VUV 123.881034
WST 2.922536
XAF 658.2942
XAG 0.034276
XAU 0.000379
XCD 2.819988
XDR 0.804456
XOF 655.813064
XPF 119.331742
YER 259.87242
ZAR 19.270865
ZMK 9392.339483
ZMW 29.050139
ZWL 335.991978
  • RBGPF

    -0.9200

    61.28

    -1.5%

  • CMSC

    -0.0100

    23.48

    -0.04%

  • RYCEF

    0.2300

    7.5

    +3.07%

  • SCS

    -0.0100

    11.57

    -0.09%

  • GSK

    0.5350

    33.965

    +1.58%

  • NGG

    0.6450

    60.695

    +1.06%

  • RIO

    0.4000

    61.52

    +0.65%

  • BCC

    0.9800

    128.9

    +0.76%

  • JRI

    0.0050

    12.535

    +0.04%

  • RELX

    0.0800

    49.34

    +0.16%

  • CMSD

    -0.1450

    23.815

    -0.61%

  • VOD

    0.0550

    8.435

    +0.65%

  • BCE

    0.2150

    23.365

    +0.92%

  • BTI

    0.5350

    37.105

    +1.44%

  • BP

    0.3550

    31.485

    +1.13%

  • AZN

    0.4200

    68.62

    +0.61%

Social media star Maher says rugby union must do more to grow game
Social media star Maher says rugby union must do more to grow game / Photo: CARL DE SOUZA - AFP/File

Social media star Maher says rugby union must do more to grow game

Social media sensation Ilona Maher has said rugby union needs to undergo a culture shift if the sport is to attract new fans.

Text size:

Maher, who won rugby sevens bronze with the USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has more than eight million followers across Instagram and TikTok, making her the world's most followed rugby player.

She was also a runner-up in the most recent series of US television show "Dancing With The Stars".

Maher, 28, has signed a three-month contract with English women's Premiership side Bristol, in the hope of being a member of the US squad for the women's Rugby World Cup in England later this year.

The versatile back has already made her presence felt, helping draw a Bristol record crowd for a women's game when she made her debut against Gloucester-Hartpury at Ashton Gate.

And she marked her first start for Bristol by scoring a spectacular try to inspire a 41-31 win against southwest rivals Exeter on Sunday.

"It is great having all these record numbers, but what we want is for them to keep coming back for the next game," Maher said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"One and done is not enough. I am sprinkling a little bit here. But we need people to keep coming. It is not just me alone."

- 'Stoic sport' -

Maher urged rugby to break its self-imposed shackles, saying: "We are a very stoic sport in a way. I would love to see more personalities in the men's game.

"You see it a little bit with a player like (former England prop) Joe Marler, but I can't think of many others who have that. I wish they could show that more.

"There is a culture in rugby we need to shift. It's an amazing sport, but also an old sport where the same things have been happening for years.

"We keep talking about how do we get young people into the game. Those people are online. We have to shift our mindset if the sport is going to evolve."

England is set to stage the biggest women's World Cup in August and September, with organisers aiming for an 82,000 sold-out final at Twickenham, the headquarters of English rugby union.

"More women need to use it to get themselves out there," said Maher. "I went into the Olympics (she was part of the USA's sevens squad) knowing people are made by it -- (gymnast) Simone Biles, (swimmer) Michael Phelps.

"I went into Paris knowing I had the chance to make myself and went in with a plan to post loads of videos. Can we go into the World Cup with a plan for players to post more videos?

"I want to show you can do both -- play good rugby and post good videos. We all have a responsibility to capitalise on this World Cup."

Maher added: "Putting yourself out there is how you get connections with people... If we want this to grow, it is on us. We have to do more, that is just the simple fact of it."

M.Fujitav--JT