Ilona Maher, the USA sevens star and social media phenomenon, has become the most-followed rugby player on Instagram as of this Sunday.
Join the RUCK’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Maher has overtaken both current South African player Siya Kolisi and former New Zealand All Black Sonny Bill Williams, each of whom has 1.3 million followers.
The USA star has seen her follower count soar by over one million in just five days, bringing her total to more than two million.
A viral TikTok video captured Maher in action during a game against Japan over the weekend. In the clip, she breaks down the right flank from her own 22-metre line, fending off an opponent with a powerful move before accelerating to score a spectacular try.
The video, posted by Rugby FC Los Angeles, has amassed an impressive five million views and over one 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
