The star player hoping to turn millions of TikTok followers into rugby fans

Ilona Maher signed a three-month deal with the Bristol Bears in December

Rugby player Ilona Maher has won fans and admirers with her sporting talent.

But it's her message of body positivity that's attracted millions of followers on social media.

The US-born athlete, 28, regularly jumps on TikTok and Instagram to talk about body positivity and being a high-profile woman in sport.

Since the Paris Olympics, she's become one of the biggest rugby players in the world, and there are hopes that her recent move to UK side Bristol Bears could boost the sport's profile.

Even though she only played for 20 minutes as a substitute, her debut match last weekend drew a record crowd for the team, which relocated the fixture to a bigger venue.

The star hung around after the game for more than 90 minutes to pose for pictures and talk to fans.

Speaking to BBC Newsbeat after her debut match last weekend, Ilona says she's "honoured" to be a role model for young women and girls.

"My message to [girls] would be to make sure you give yourself grace and are gentle with your body," she says.

"There are going to be days where it's tough to love it all the time but give it grace and do things, whether it's dance, rugby or taking a walk, to show what it's able to do for you."

Aspiring players Zara and Millie, who turned up to watch the game, tell Newsbeat Ilona helped them to realise: "Just because you play a sport, it doesn't define how you can be as a person."

"Ilona's changed the perception of body image by showing that you can be muscly and strong and powerful and wear a dress," says 16-year-old Zara.

"Just because you play a sport it doesn't define how you can be as a person - how you have to look, how you have to act.

"I know a lot of young girls struggle with that."

Ilona shot to fame while playing for Team USA at the Paris Olympics, becoming one of the most followed athletes

Zara and team-mate Millie, also 16, play for North Bristol Rugby Club.

They both had to move to Bristol when they turned 12 in order to continute playing due to the lack of more local girls' teams.

"I've been playing rugby since I was about six and I used to play with the boys up until I was U12s which is the age limit that you're not allowed to play with them anymore," says Zara.

An athletic physique is "always seen as a masculine thing", adds Millie.

"[Ilona's] a role model for me because I'm quite tall and she's also tall and she just shows the beauty in that and she's not ashamed of it."

Millie and Zara say Ilona's already having a positive impact on the women's game

For rugby union journalist and author Jessica Hayden, Ilona's message of body positivity is breaking down a significant barrier in the women's game.

"Half of the issue is that they don't have the opportunity and that clubs don't have women's or girls offerings for them," she tells Newsbeat.

"The other half of the issue is that, when they get to that age, there's problems around body positivity."

And while there have been campaigns in the past to promote body confidence, what makes Ilona cut through is her authenticity, Jessica says.

"Personalities are the most important thing in sport because people want to understand who this athlete is," she says.

"What I really liked was seeing young girls talking to her [after her debut] about what Ilona's done for them in terms of how they view their own bodies.

"And I'm sure those conversations are happening up and down the country about what she's doing for the sport."

Ilona recently appeared on Dancing With the Stars in the US where she shared her message of body positivity

Team-mates Millie and Zara say they're excited to see the boost they think Ilona's already bringing to the women's game.

A record-breaking crowd of 9,240 turned out to watch Ilona's Premiership Women's Rugby debut as the Bristol Bears took on rivals Gloucester-Hartpury.

The figure is more than double the Bears' previous record attendance of 4,101- not to mention a new Premiership Women's Rugby record for a standalone game.

"She's had a massive effect," says Zara.

"They might not play rugby, they might not ever have watched a rugby match, but because they follow her on Instagram and TikTok, they want to come and watch her."

Jessica was also in the crowd and says she's "never seen anything like it".

"If you have all those fans who turned up to see Ilona Maher, they might become Bristol Bears fans and then come back the next week and the week after that," she says.

'Our Lionesses moment'

Ilona's signed to Bristol on a three month deal and Millie says it's "a really good opportunity to create more of a platform for women's rugby".

Jessica is optimistic that will happen, particularly with the Women's Rugby World Cup being hosted in England this year and plans to boost female participation in the sport.

"We could be having our Lionesses moment," Jessica says, referring to the success of England's women's football team.

"The attention [Ilona]'s drawing it right now can only be a good thing for the wider game.

"Now is the time to invest in women's rugby - it's only going to get bigger."

After coming on for 20 minutes, the Bristol Bears eventually lost to rivals Gloucester-Hartpury 17-40 and Ilona told Newsbeat she's "ready for more".

"I feel happy, but hungry's the word - I'm ready to do more."

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.