Ilona Maher said goodbye to the Bristol Bears. The professional rugby player, who landed as runner-up with pro partner Alan Bersten on “Dancing with the Stars” season 33, shared a message with fans after completing a three-month stint for the Bristol Bears in the Premiership Women’s Rugby League in England.
In a tearful message posted to Instagram, Maher bid farewell to her team across the pond.
“Thank you for having me England,” she said in a video message on March 3. “My time with the @bristolbearswomen was so special. I encourage you all to keep coming out and supporting women’s rugby. Be a part of history.”
“That was my last game in the PWR,” she added. “I am so honored to have played for the Bristol Bears. The most welcoming, nicest team I could have joined. And I’m sad I’ll now be playing against a lot of them.”
Maher then addressed fans directly with a plea for support. “To all of you, women’s rugby is changing and it’s really making the world and people a better place,” she said through tears. “Please keep coming out and fill these seats. Like, we’re setting records, and we need you to buy the shirt, come to the games. Like, women support women. Come and help us. This has been an honor to wear this jersey, and I just hope that we can continue even when I’m not playing in the PWR because there’s something special going on here.”
She captioned the video with, “Ilona Maher signing off.”
Thousands of Fans Flocked to See Ilona Maher Play Rugby
Maher caused plenty of buzz during her time with the Bristol Bears.
According to CNN, nearly 10,000 fans flocked to see her play her first home game at Ashton Gate, making a significant increase in viewership. The Olympic bronze medalist played center and wing positions and scored her first try during game No. 2.
Maher was injured during a January 18 game against the Leicester Tigers. At the time, the DWTS alum posted a photo to Instagram that showed her holding an ice pack on her bloody nose. “Just a lil knock,” she captioned the post.
She gave an update with a second post that offered a callback to one of her most iconic DWTS moments in which she said to judge Carrie Ann Inaba, “Been better Carrie Ann.”
Ilona Maher’s Next Stop Is on the DWTS Live Tour
Maher is set to appear on the “Dancing With the Stars” tour date on April 5 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, as noted on the DWTS Tour website.
She previously told Parade magazine that she had to prioritize her rugby career over the “Dancing with the Stars” cross-country tour. “I would love to do more [on the tour], but it was important for me to go back to my passion of rugby,” she explained in January. “With the World Cup coming up next year, I wanted to prepare myself for that. And though I would love to have been [on tour] spending every day with Alan again, I need to also focus on what really brings me joy and what I think will move me forward and move the sport forward.”
