Women’s rugby star who went viral during Olympics is coming to KC with U.S. team for match
There’s probably not a football fan alive who doesn’t love to see a ball carrier use a good stiff-arm to knock a defender to the ground.
During the Paris Olympics last summer, Ilona Maher went viral for her punishing stiff arms but it came in a different sport. Maher and the U.S. women’s team won a Bronze medal in Rugby 7s.
Here are highlights of Maher shoving aside opponents.
Maher is coming to Kansas City with the USA women’s rugby team when it plays Canada at CPKC Stadium on May 2.
In addition to her skills on the rugby field, Maher gained notoriety when she was on “Dancing With The Stars.”
The match in Kansas City is part of a tour of games for the U.S. women’s and men’s rugby teams. A dozen matches will be played in the United States.
This is from a news release from Visit KC: “This initiative is a key pillar of World Rugby’s commitment to growing the sport in the U.S in partnership with USA Rugby and key stakeholders, driving fan engagement, commercial investment, and high-performance opportunities for the Eagles ahead of hosting Rugby World Cups in 2031 (men) and 2033 (women).”
Kansas City is hoping to be a host city for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2033, which is being held in the United States.
Tickets are on sale now and can be found here.
This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 10:58 AM.
