Stiff-arm sensation Ilona Maher mocks expected dainty entrance for Team USA

Ilona Maher has a stiff-arm that’s NFL worthy.

Several of her patented cold shoulders went viral in for USA Women’s Rugby Sevens to guarantee a spot in the quarterfinal before facing host-country France for the top spot in Pool C.
BEEP BEEP 😤@ilona_maher is in the ZONE!
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 28, 2024
📺: @NBCOlympics & @peacock#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/7Lulj3dYUW
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Get the ball to Ilona Maher and GET OUT OF THE WAY‼️ #ParisOlympics
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) July 28, 2024
📺CNBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/hF8KAytAj1
Those poor opponents!
Even better than Maher’s stiff arms is her social media messaging, often with empowering messages by being self-deprecating and genuine, the latest of which is her mocking the expected run-out to the field vs. the reality.
Ilona Maher's run-out was perfection at the #ParisOlympics. 💯
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) July 28, 2024
🎥 TikTok/@ilonamaher pic.twitter.com/tXjWKAT75j
And for those of you who are new to the social media sensation’s uplifting posts, here’s a great example below.
sure, she’s a beast in rugby.
— stas (@yourgirlayedub) July 28, 2024
but what she really needed was a platform. pic.twitter.com/SRaOrazue1
Maher has 1.4 million Instagram and 1.5 million TikTok followers, and it’s easy to see why: if only she was that nice to her opponents.

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Matthew Graham has over 20 years of media experience and oversees The Athlete Lifestyle On SI. He has had previous leadership roles at NBC Sports, Yahoo, and USA TODAY, where he co-founded For The Win (named Best Mobile Site by Digiday). He has also written for ESPN, Cosmopolitan, US Weekly, People, E! Online, and FHM, covering major sports and entertainment events like the Oscars, the Golden Globes, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, and winning the Yahoo Superstar Award for coverage of the Olympics.