Ilona Maher's debut: Inside a historic day for the PWR

It was perhaps the most-anticipated debut in the history of Premiership Women’s Rugby, and the first sight of Ilona Maher as a Bristol Bear certainly lived up to fans’ hopes.

While it might not have been a dream debut for the American on the pitch, as Bears lost 40-17 to Gloucester-Hartpury at Ashton Gate, that it was played in front of a record 9,240 fans was symbolic of the history that was taking place.

Maher was greeted with a roaring reception when she took the pitch as a 60th-minute replacement and wasted little time getting stuck in with a tackle on Rachel Lund.

We won't be forgetting this any time soon 🙏

Ilona Maher making her #PWR debut is our Moment of the Week 🤩#PoweredDifferently @BristolBearsW pic.twitter.com/h8MVR9yYws

— Premiership Women's Rugby (@ThePWR) January 7, 2025

But it was perhaps the hour spent with fans after the full-time whistle that will reverberate long after Sunday’s encounter, as a truly global sporting figure ensured the next generation left inspired.

“It was really good. I was so nervous to get in and then once I did get in I felt much more confident,” said Maher.

“I’m excited to get more reps in and really start to understand it more and hopefully get more playing time.”

This was no ordinary debut, as fans from around the world flew into Bristol to take it in and many more tuned in from across the globe.

Since it was announced in December that the Olympic bronze medallist at Paris 2024 had signed for Bears, the clamour to actually see her in action grew and grew.

Demand for tickets meant that the venue for the visit of reigning champions Gloucester-Hartpury was switched from Shaftesbury Park to Ashton Gate.

That translated into a bumper crowd in the West Country, as Bears set a new Premiership Women’s Rugby record for attendance at a standalone fixture.

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And Red Roses prop Sarah Bern revealed that it is something she hopes the league can see more of as the season heads towards its finale in March and beyond, with Bears returning to Ashton Gate to face Leicester Tigers on 18 January.

“It was amazing to have that support when you score a try or a massive tackle,” said Bern. “It was just phenomenal, it definitely helped us in parts of the game.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t quite pull away in that second half and it is something we need to work on but the fans were absolutely fantastic and hopefully we can get that again at our next home game.

“To get over 9,000 today just for a Premiership game is absolutely groundbreaking.”

Bumper crowds are not an uncommon occurrence in women’s rugby, with many of the countless internationals on show at Ashton Gate used to bringing in big attendances during the Women’s Six Nations and WXV.

It is something that is set to continue too, with the Rugby World Cup coming to England later this year and Red Roses prop Hannah Botterman is relishing returning to Ashton Gate this summer.

“To play here with that many people is really special,” she said. “Hopefully we can make it more of a regular occurrence, the fans were insane, they were incredible.

“They were with us every step of the way. Hanging around at the end for photos, their support was unwavering, and we really appreciate it.

“Having the [World Cup] quarters and the semis here in Bristol will be really exciting, hopefully as England we can get there.”