Rugby star Ilona Maher debuts for Bristol in front of record crowd NBC Connecticut [Video]

U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher made her debut for the Bristol Bears women’s team in front of a record home crowd of 9,240 fans on Sunday.

But Maher, “ the most followed rugby player on the planet,” could not prevent Bristol from losing 40-17 to defending champion Gloucester-Hartpury in a Premiership Women’s Rugby match.

She came on as a substitute in the 61st minute at Ashton Gate with Bristol trailing 28-10. Maher made her presence felt in a couple of rucks and looked for work off the wing but could make little impact to the overall picture in her 20 minutes on the field.

The previous attendance record for a Bristol women’s home match was 4,101 against Harlequins in May 2022. Such was the anticipation surrounding Maher’s debut that Bristol relocated the match from a smaller venue to Ashton Gate to satisfy demand for seats.

The 28-year-old Maher, who helped lead the …