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EXETER, England — U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher has celebrated her first start for the Bristol Bears by powering over for a try in a 41-31 victory at the Exeter Chiefs. Maher, the most followed rugby player on social media, ran over half the field at Sandy Park and bumped off two tackles in a 55th-minute try made possible by her pace and power. Maher told TNT Sports: "I don't go around them, always go through." It was the winger's second Premiership Women's Rugby match in England. The Vermont native is returning to the 15-a-side game in hopes of boosting her chances of making the U.S. team for the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup in England. She can play at wing or center.
