Rugby Star Ilona Maher Showcases Curves in Bikini as Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Model

Women’s rugby Olympic bronze medalist Ilona Maher is adding another title to her 2024 resume after becoming a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model.

The professional athlete, 28, graced the publication’s digital cover for their September issue on Wednesday, August 28, and she rocked her perfectly sculpted body in blazing bikinis. Ilona celebrated her accomplishment via Instagram by sharing BTS content of a silly video while she sat in the shallow end of a pool wearing a striking red two-piece bathing suit.

In the clip, Ilona recited Sue Sylvester’s line in the musical series Glee, played by Jane Lynch, mouthing, “I will no longer be carrying around photo ID. Know why? People should know who I am.”

“@si_swimsuit so excited to be part of the family!” she captioned the post.

Friends and fans congratulated Ilona in the comments section, including Flavor Flav, who played a pivotal role at the Paris Olympics as a sponsor for Team USA’s women’s water polo team.

“WE ALL KNOW,” the Public Enemy rapper, 65, wrote alongside an overwhelming amount of fire emojis.

The official Sports Illustrated Swimsuits Instagram account introduced Illona as their newest cover model with a flirty video before unveiling her stunning cover photo hours later.

“When we say #beastbeautybrains THIS is what we mean,” the publication captioned the post. “At just 28 years old, Ilona Maher has already made a name for herself both on and off the rugby field. The Vermont native, who led Team USA to its first bronze #Olympic medal in rugby sevens at the Paris games earlier this summer, is breaking the stereotype of what it means to be a female athlete.”

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Ilona looked breathtaking on the digital cover as she showcased her toned figure in a goddess-like brown bikini. The tiny bottoms featured thin string sides that paired perfectly with her mini one-strap top.

Naturally, Ilona brought comedy to her new title and shared a video of herself doing pull-ups before posing in front of the camera.

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“If you heard me count only 4 reps, you’re mistaken. It was actually 400,” she joked in the caption.
Humor seems to run in the Maher family as Ilona’s older sister, Olivia, gushed over her SI Swimsuit photos.

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“Having a morning over here. Ilona is officially a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model,” Olivia, 29, said in an August 28 Instagram video while sitting on the couch next to her sister. “So excited about that, so much to celebrate, but also much to celebrate for me because my new Dyson vacuum arrives today. So, it’s getting crazy over here.”

Ilona made a mark at the Paris Games with her bold game day lipstick and Love Island-inspired TikTok videos inside the Olympic Village. Her unapologetic personality is what really made her become a fan favorite, though.

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In August, Ilona clapped back at an online troll who body-shamed her by claiming she had a “30 [percent] BMI.”

During her video response, she admitted that her BMI is 29.3 and that her nutritionist taught her that BMI doesn’t correlate properly to athletes.

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“It just tells you what your height and weight and what that equals. I’ve said it before. I’m 5 feet 10 inches, 200 pounds and I have about, and this is an estimate – but about 100 and 70 pounds of lean mass on me,” she said. “Do that math in your head. You probably can’t. That’s pretty crazy.”

She concluded her message with a mic-drop moment, saying, “It’s just a couple numbers put together. It doesn’t tell you how much muscle I have or anything like that. So, yeah, I do have a BMI of 30. I am considered overweight but, alas, I’m going to the Olympics – and you’re not.”