Ilona Maher, the USA sevens star and social media sensation, became the most-followed rugby player on Instagram this Sunday.
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She surpassed current player Siya Kolisi and former All Black Sonny Bill Williams, both of whom have 1.3 million followers.
A TikTok video captures Maher during a game against Japan went viral over the weekend, where she breaks down the right flank from her own 22-meter line.
Faced with an opponent, she delivers a powerful fend before accelerating away to score a spectacular try.
The clip, shared by Rugby FC Los Angeles, has garnered an impressive 5 million views and over 1 million likes in less than 24 hours.
England set to play Wales at expanded 2027 Rugby World Cup
During the draw, the 24 participating teams will be divided into six pools, each consisting of four teams. Notably, this draw will transpire before the regional qualifiers have concluded, resulting in a dual-world approach.
On one side, we have the twelve automatic qualifiers from the 2023 Rugby World Cup, confirmed by their names. On the other side, the regional qualifiers will be represented as Africa 1, Europe 1, Europe 2, and so forth.
Rugby World Cup 2027 is set to be hosted in Australia, marking the eleventh edition of the Men’s Rugby World Cup and the third time it will take place in Australia. The country previously co-hosted the inaugural Rugby World Cup with New Zealand in 1987 and served as the sole host in 2003.
With the current World Rankings in mind, let’s delve into how the 2027 Rugby World Cup will shape up via Rugby Centre.
2027 Rugby World Cup draw (Current rankings)
POOL A
- South Africa
- Argentina
- Samoa
- Spain
POOL B
- Ireland
- Australia
- Georgia
- Romania
