Rugby Player Ilona Maher Promotes Body Positivity in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Photos

Ilona Maher’s photoshoot with Sports Illustrated has been getting praise from fans online as she stuns on the swimsuit cover of the magazine’s August issue. Ben Watts photographed the athlete wearing multiple swimsuits by MYRA SWIM, HAUS OF PINK LEMONAID, mare perpetua, and Norma Kamali, among others, and in several shots, she was even seen showing off her recent Olympic medal.

Notably, Maher led the U.S. women’s rugby team to its first-ever bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Now, fans have praised her latest appearance on the Sports Illustrated cover for its promotion of body positivity.

Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher strips down in steamy Sports Illustrated cover

Talking to Sports Illustrated, the 28-year-old athlete revealed that her victory was far from an overnight success story. Her father, Michael Maher, who was also a rugby player, encouraged her to take up the sport at 17. With her diligence and hard work, she became one of the top rugby players in the country.

Ilona Maher now has over six million followers on social media platforms and is reportedly the most followed rugby player on Instagram. On her social media accounts, she often advocates for female body positivity. She told Sports Illustrated, “I was always like, you know, called masculine or whatever. But I never felt that way. But I don’t think you’re going to bully the girl who could probably beat you up in a rage.”

The athlete then added, “I love that [rugby] showed me what I can do. It showed me how capable my body is and it’s not just like a tool to be looked at and objectified.” Unfortunately, like most female athletes, fame comes with its share of criticism. However, this hasn’t broken Maher’s spirit, and she hasn’t shied away from talking back to her haters.

Maher has been consistently vocal about the harsh conditions and obstacles women athletes face given the serious gender gap in the sports world, which is particularly notable in rugby. She spoke in her interview with Sports Illustrated about how female rugby players make far less than their male counterparts, barely making the “minimum wage.” This forces many to take up an additional job, while male rugby players “get paid millions of dollars.”

Maher further revealed that she has been getting brand endorsements, messages, requests, and representation offers ever since her return. At the shoot, she looked enchanting in a series of gorgeous swimsuits. The cover was posted on Sports Illustrated’s Instagram account, where it received praise from fans all over the globe.