United States rugby star Ilona Maher has said breakaway rugby leagues could be a positive for the game but warned organisers need to pay female players what they are worth.
Maher and the U.S. are preparing to take on England in the opening game of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Sunderland on Friday.
While Maher’s immediate focus is on the pitch, the emergence of potential breakaway leagues is expected to be a narrative throughout the tournament with the best female talent on display.
Maher said she has been contacted on numerous occasions about new ventures, but wants to see action.
“The amount of times I get the email saying ‘we’ve got a new league coming up.’ That’s great. Let’s get it started then and let’s start paying these players fairly and what they’re worth,” Maher told ESPN.
“I would be interested but I’m also not going to now downgrade myself or what my worth is. It’s not just what I bring on the pitch, I bring a lot on the pitch and I’m a great player, but now we’re seeing what I bring off it as well and that’s I think what’s really important.”
The most prominent breakaway league at present is R360, with plans to launch the new-look tournament in September 2026.
Sources have told ESPN that Maher is top of the organisers’ list for who they want to headline their women’s league. Maher is the most followed rugby player on social media — men’s or women’s — in the world with 5.2 million followers on Instagram and 3.6m on TikTok.
The Olympic bronze medallist wants to see more players show their personality on social media and for potential new leagues to value them.
Information from ESPN’s Tom Hamilton contributed to this report.
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