Ilona Maher is among the most popular rugby players, if not athletes, on the planet, and within her fan club happens to be someone who blazed a trail before her.
Ruby Tui, a two-time Olympic medalist and Women’s Rugby World Cup winner with New Zealand, has been watching closely as her American counterpart has taken rugby by storm, amassing legions of followers on social media.
A little-known entity this time last year, Maher’s popularity soared at the Paris Olympics, where she won bronze with Team USA. Her larger-than-life persona quickly made her the most followed rugby player on the internet, earning appearances on “Dancing With the Stars” and the cover of Sports Illustrated’s “Swimsuit Edition.”
For Tui, who spent time in the United States playing in the Premier Rugby Sevens competition, such success hasn’t happened by chance. Rather, it’s a consequence of the time that Maher invests on and off the rugby field.
“People think she was just random or an accident,”
“Nah, that woman puts work into her rugby, that woman puts work into her branding. That whole USA team really does.
“I guess that’s why I chose to have my sabbatical in the US. I was like, ‘How do these guys know so much about just the entertainment world?’ They’re just world leaders at entertaining, and that’s what sport is at the end of the day.
“I’m such a fan of her. I’m a fan of anyone who’s willing to put the work in and step up for a cause that they truly believe in, that aligns with their values. And she’s always been a vibe.”
In four months, Maher and Tui could both be appearing on their sport’s biggest stage at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England – Tui as a reigning champion with New Zealand and Maher as a first-timer with the US.
The latter only recently switched from seven to 15-a-side rugby and spent the first part of this year with English team Bristol Bears Women, drawing a club record crowd on her first home appearance. The World Cup is now the next goal in the 28-year-old’s burgeoning career.
“I can’t wait for Ilona Maher to come over to the 15s game on a World Cup stage and see what kind of storm she can start,” says Tui. “Like, let’s go – I’m keen for all of it. I think more champions, more characters for the game is nothing but good.”
Like Maher, Tui also made her name in rugby sevens, winning a silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics before upgrading to gold in Tokyo five years later. And like Maher, she too has achieved internet stardom, delivering an iconic speech after the 2022 World Cup final and leading the 45,000-strong Auckland crowd in song.
Soon after, Tui would give her winner’s medal to a young fan who had recently recovered from leukemia and was dreaming of playing for New Zealand.
That offered just a brief snapshot into the warmth and generosity of an athlete who constantly inspires, though Tui’s bubbly, eccentric exterior belies her challenging and often traumatic journey to the top of international rugby.
Her father was an alcoholic, while her mother, separately, was in an abusive relationship, eventually leading Tui to find a home at a women’s refuge.
Not afraid to speak about her difficult childhood, Tui can empathize with others going through what she calls “dark, dark times.” With that in mind, she is supporting a new campaign by Bupa and New Zealand Rugby – “Human After All: The Alternative Team Photo” – which is about normalizing health conversations worldwide.
“All I can say is, the journeys you get through and the mountains you climb transform into your purpose and your reason for giving back,” says Tui. “I’ve just seen nothing but good things come from being vulnerable, being open to it. I think that’s why this campaign is so important because we are seen as these physically superior rugby machines, but the truth is, we’re human as well.”