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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Ilona Maher’s TikTok popularity grew because she made Olympic life feel close and funny—and used that attention to draw people toward women’s rugby and challenge stereotypes about female athletes. Her videos began attracting fans around the Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021, and her profile rose again during the Paris 2024 Games, where the U.S. women’s rugby sevens team won bronze.
Who is Ilona Maher?
Maher is a U.S. rugby sevens player whose online following grew alongside her athletic career. She has said she wants to be known first as a rugby player, not only as a social media personality. That distinction matters: her posts are not just Olympic-life entertainment, but also a way to make a relatively unfamiliar women’s sport more visible.
USA Rugby has more than 100,000 members in over 2,500 clubs nationwide, according to NBC Olympics in 2024; college- and high-school-age players make up nearly half of that community. Maher has described visibility as important for a sport whose female athletes, in her words, are not receiving the money they should. NBC Olympics
Why did Ilona Maher go viral on TikTok?
She brought fans behind the scenes
Maher’s rise did not start in Paris. NBC Olympics says her behind-the-scenes TikToks captivated fans during the Tokyo Olympics; Forbes reports that she began vlogging at Tokyo 2020, which took place in 2021, to publicize women’s rugby sevens. Her videos offered a personal view of the Games—Olympic Village routines, teammates and the less formal moments around competition—rather than only results and highlights. NBC Olympics Forbes
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Her humor made the Games relatable
Maher paired candid Olympic Village glimpses with humor and popular-culture references. One especially successful example was a TikTok about the Village’s cardboard beds: the NCAA reported in May 2024 that it had received more than 1.7 million likes. Rather than presenting the Olympics as distant spectacle, the posts let viewers share small, recognizable moments with an athlete living inside it. NCAA
Paris 2024 brought a new wave of attention
The Paris Games overlapped with a major U.S. rugby achievement. The U.S. women’s sevens team won bronze after a last-second try and conversion against Australia; it was the program’s first Olympic medal. Maher’s presence online gave new viewers a personality and a story to follow alongside the result. NBC Olympics Forbes
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- HAND-STITCHED: In addition to our superior triangular grip pattern, and 3 ply poly cotton panels, all Gilbert rugby balls are hand stitched for durability. Pull it out of your rugby bag and trust that It's tough as nails. With over 20 years of experience, Gilbert is a trusted brand, making top-quality training equipment that stands up to the toughest challenges, making it the ultimate rugby game ball.
- EASY CARE: Prior to training or a match, use a soft cloth, light detergent, and warm water to remove dirt and residue from your rugby ball. All training/practice rugby balls and rugby game balls come deflated. Inflate them to 9.5 psi using a rugby pump, or any ball pump. Gilbert training balls are a great choice for any rugby team or player looking for an uncompromising, high-quality rugby ball.
What does Maher post about beyond Olympic life?
Her content also addresses body image, femininity and women’s sport. Maher has spoken about the stereotype that a physical sport like rugby conflicts with being feminine or beautiful. At the Team USA Media Summit, as quoted by the NCAA, she explained that she wears lipstick while playing because she can tackle and run hard without feeling she must give up her femininity. The point is not that athletes need makeup; it is that there is no single acceptable way for a woman to look or express herself in sport. NCAA
In a 2024 body-positivity TikTok cited by Forbes, Maher said, “All body types matter. All body types are worthy,” and urged viewers to see themselves in athletes ranging from gymnasts to rugby players and shot-putters. The message speaks directly to the criticism sometimes aimed at her athletic build: strength and speed do not make a body less worthy, and elite athletes do not all look alike. Forbes
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How has TikTok helped women’s rugby?
Maher’s platform gives viewers an accessible entry point to the sport: they can first encounter her humor or a glimpse of team life, then become curious about the game and its players. That visibility aligns with her stated goal of raising the profile of women’s rugby. After the Paris bronze, she described the achievement as improving the jersey for the next generation, so more girls would want to play. The medal supplied a sporting milestone; the social posts helped audiences connect that milestone to the people and sport behind it. NBC Olympics
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How large is her TikTok following?
Published figures show rapid growth, but they are dated snapshots, not a verified live count. The NCAA reported 1.1 million TikTok followers in May 2024. Forbes reported more than 1.6 million on TikTok on July 30, 2024, and said her Paris videos had between 600,000 and 14 million views each at that time. In 2025, the Associated Press described her as having nearly nine million followers across social media; that is a combined-platform figure, not a TikTok-only total. These sources do not establish her current TikTok follower count. NCAA Forbes Associated Press
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- TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED: A durable rugby practice ball you and your rugby team can trust. Featuring Gilbert's newly patented triangular surface grip pattern, the G-TR4000 represents a major step forward in grip technology on training rugby balls. Tests have shown that this new, more defined pattern is hard wearing and allows the rugby player more surface area contact with the ball when handling.
- AS TOUGH AS YOU: Thanks to its proprietary hydratec technical fabrics and waterproof laminations, the Gilbert rugby ball handles even the roughest conditions, enhancing the life and performance of the ball. Gilbert knows what it takes to produce top quality youth rugby, and adult rugby balls, that will last multiple seasons of heavy use.
- PREMIUM CONSTRUCTION: Preparing for a rugby game is serious business. Our size 5 rugby ball, as well as our size 3 and 4 size rugby ball for kids, feature a 3-ply poly-cotton and cotton laminate panels. This means that our balls will weigh slightly more, perform better on longer kicks and passes, and generally hold its shape better than a ball of 2-ply construction.
- HAND-STITCHED: In addition to our superior triangular grip pattern, and 3 ply poly cotton panels, all Gilbert rugby balls are hand stitched for durability. Pull it out of your rugby bag and trust that It's tough as nails. With over 20 years of experience, Gilbert is a trusted brand, making top-quality training equipment that stands up to the toughest challenges, making it the ultimate rugby game ball.
- EASY CARE: Prior to training or a match, use a soft cloth, light detergent, and warm water to remove dirt and residue from your rugby ball. All training/practice rugby balls and rugby game balls come deflated. Inflate them to 9.5 psi using a rugby pump, or any ball pump. Gilbert training balls are a great choice for any rugby team or player looking for an uncompromising, high-quality rugby ball.
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