American Icon Ilona Maher Confirmed for Team USA Squad After Year-Long Break

Ilona Maher is back in the game. After months away from competitive rugby, the American star has earned a place in the USA Women’s Eagles Sevens squad for a preseason tour of New Zealand, bringing her closer to a potential return to the Olympic stage.

Maher did not play since the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, but her selection signals a fresh chapter as Team USA begins preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The Olympic bronze medalist will join a 15-player squad for a training camp and invitational tournament at Mount Maunganui, where the Americans will face Australia, Japan, France, Fiji, and a New Zealand Development side.

The tournament begins on October 31 at Blake Park, with finals scheduled for November 1. For Maher, it offers an opportunity to get back into the rhythm of competition after spending much of the past year exploring opportunities beyond the rugby field.

Maher became one of the breakout stars of the Paris 2024 Olympics, helping the United States secure its first-ever Olympic medal in women’s rugby. Her performances, combined with her outspoken personality and growing social media presence, introduced the sport to millions of new fans.

Her influence continued after Paris. Maher competed on Dancing with the Stars, where she finished second with professional partner Alan Bersten, appeared on magazine covers, and strengthened her reputation as an advocate for body positivity. She also played for England’s Bristol Bears before representing the United States at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Since that tournament, however, Maher has remained away from competitive rugby. Her latest selection suggests she is ready to test herself again as Team USA works toward its next major goal.

Head coach Emilie Bydwell has made it clear that the New Zealand trip will serve as an important assessment of the squad’s progress. The team has completed eight weeks of training focused on improving its technical and physical abilities.

“This competition is a critical checkpoint to measure our progress against world-class opposition,” Bydwell said. She also stressed the importance of building squad depth and helping individual players understand how their strengths can benefit the team.

The Americans finished third in the overall HSBC SVNS Series rankings last season before placing fourth across the three World Championship events, narrowly missing out on a higher position on points difference. They will now look to build consistency and strengthen their options ahead of the Los Angeles Games.

Maher’s return could prove valuable, but the New Zealand tour does not guarantee her a place in Team USA’s eventual Olympic lineup. Instead, it gives her an opportunity to begin rebuilding her competitive momentum.

Ilona Maher opens up on her LA28 dream

Maher had already spoken candidly about her Olympic ambitions and the uncertainty surrounding her future in rugby. After winning bronze in Paris, she admitted that the experience had left her feeling fulfilled and prompted her to reconsider what she wanted from the sport.

“I am going to try to,” Maher said when discussing her hopes of competing at LA28 on Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast in June 2025. She described the possibility of playing at a home Olympics as an exciting goal, while acknowledging that she was still figuring out her reasons for continuing.

“I love doing this. I love doing the social media, the swim weeks, and the shows,” she explained, adding that she wanted to return to rugby because she genuinely loved competing rather than treating it like a chore.

That balance has shaped Maher’s journey since Paris. While her growing profile has opened doors beyond sport, she has continued to use her platform to challenge conventional ideas about athletic bodies and inspire young women.

“I’m really proud to step into the role of somebody that girls and women look up to who’s just existing in a very strong body,” Maher told POPSUGAR in 2026.
Her message has remained consistent even as her career has evolved. In a recent video featuring her national teammates, she celebrated the physicality of women’s rugby, declaring, “We can’t all be models. Some of us gotta hold it down on the rugby pitch, showing you all this sport ain’t just for the boys.”

Now, with her return to the USA Sevens squad confirmed, Maher has another opportunity to reconnect with the game that made her an Olympic star.

The road to LA28 remains long, and her place at the 2028 Olympics is far from certain. But after stepping away to explore life beyond rugby, Maher is taking a meaningful first step toward making her home-Olympics dream a reality.

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