Ilona Maher wants America to fall in love with rugby during Women's World Cup

Ilona Maher’s mission at the Women’s Rugby World Cup is about more than just winning games. Heading into the United States’ tournament opener on Friday, the world’s most followed rugby player on social media wants to get more eyeballs on the sport as it ramps up attempts to crack the market in America. “Not many people know that there’s a Women’s Rugby World Cup going on, so we try to get as many people as we can to spread that knowledge,” Maher said ahead of the match against host England in the World Cup curtain-raiser in Sunderland.