'She's going to be devastating' - Bristol coach on Maher

Ilona Maher impressed Dave Ward in her first session with Bristol Bears

English rugby is not ready for the impact American star Ilona Maher will have on the pitch, says Bristol Bears coach Dave Ward.

Maher, who won an Olympic sevens bronze medal in Paris in the summer, begins a three-month deal with the Bears in January.

The 28-year-old is a huge social media figure, with 4.5 million Instagram followers and 3.2 million on TikTok, but Ward says that more important to him is the new dimension Maher will add to his team.

"She's going to shock people when she plays 15s," said Ward.

"I think she is going to be devastating. She is someone with the pace of [England and Ealing Trailfinders wing] Abby Dow, the size of [England and Bristol second row] Abbie Ward, and a step.

"You've got a fantastic rugby player there. She is going to be a massive asset to our game and give us a completely different dynamic.

"Everyone knows about the social media following and that is all well and good, but, from my perspective, we saw a world-class rugby player who wanted to come and play 15s and was looking for the best league and hopefully the best programme.

"That is what we wanted to represent."

Maher, who appeared on US television show Dancing With The Stars, will return home for Christmas before starting training in earnest with Bristol in the new year.

However, she was involved in a skills sessions with her new team-mates on Monday and, despite having had four months away from the sport, impressed Ward with her passing, conditioning and enthusiasm.

Maher was a key part of the United States team that won their first Olympic women's sevens medal in Paris

"She was ripping the ball off her right and left hand just as well as [centre] Phoebe Murray," Ward added.

Ward cautioned that Bristol's Premiership Women's Rugby match on 5 January against Gloucester-Hartpury, the team that beat the Bears in last season's final, may be too early for Maher to be involved as she continues to reacquaint herself with the 15-a-side format she last played in 2021.

He anticipates Maher starting her Bristol career as a wing but predicted that she could also be involved in midfield and the back row, with United States coach Sione Fukofuka keen to explore options ahead of her potential involvement in the Rugby World Cup in England in August.

"We have not closed a door on any of those… she could play in all those positions," said Ward.

"Imagine her out the back of a pod of Sarah Bern, Hannah Botterman and Lark Atkin-Davies - who are you going to defend?

"It is exciting. I am excited talking about it and I think our fans are going to be excited to watch it."