Rugby star Ilona Maher makes her debut in front of record crowd for Bristol Bears

BRISTOL, England (AP) — U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher made her debut for the Bristol Bears women's team in front of a record home crowd of 9,240 fans on Sunday.

But Maher, “ the most followed rugby player on the planet,” could not prevent Bristol from losing 40-17 to defending champion Gloucester-Hartpury in a Premiership Women’s Rugby match.

She came on as a substitute in the 61st minute at Ashton Gate with Bristol trailing 28-10. Maher made her presence felt in a couple of rucks and looked for work off the wing but could make little impact to the overall picture in her 20 minutes on the field.

The previous attendance record for a Bristol women’s home match was 4,101 against Harlequins in May 2022. Such was the anticipation surrounding Maher's debut that Bristol relocated the match from a smaller venue to Ashton Gate to satisfy demand for seats.

The 28-year-old Maher, who helped lead the U.S. to the bronze medal in rugby sevens at the Paris Games, has signed a three-month contract with Bristol in southwestern England. She had begun training with Bristol in December when the team announced the signing before going back to the United States for the holidays.

Maher has more than 8 million followers combined on Instagram and TikTok. She was a runner-up on the “Dancing With The Stars" TV show.

The Vermont native is returning to the 15-a-side game in hopes of boosting her chances of making the U.S. team for the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England. She can play at wing or center.

Bristol also said the attendance was a record for a stand-alone game in the Premiership. League-leading Harlequins said they set a women’s club rugby record for attendance on Dec. 28 when 18,055 fans watched the team beat Leicester Tigers 42-17 at Twickenham Stadium. That was not a stand-alone match; it was part of a doubleheader with the Harlequins men’s team.

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

Bristol Bears' Ilona Maher during the Premiership Women's Rugby match between Bristol Bears and Gloucester Hartpury at Ashton Gate, Bristol, England, Sunday Jan. 5, 2025. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

Bristol Bears' Ilona Maher ahead of the Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby match between Bristol Bears and Gloucester-Hartpury in Bristol, England, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2024. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

Bristol Bears' Ilona Maher during the Premiership Women's Rugby match between Bristol Bears and Gloucester Hartpury at Ashton Gate, Bristol, England, Sunday Jan. 5, 2025. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

Bristol Bears' Ilona Maher during the Premiership Women's Rugby match between Bristol Bears and Gloucester Hartpury at Ashton Gate, Bristol, England, Sunday Jan. 5, 2025. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

A monkey in a pink tutu that slipped out of a Missouri home was captured just before a winter storm slammed the state.

“Bananas” is how the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office described the apprehension of the primate in a Facebook post.

The spider monkey was spotted Friday afternoon at the intersection of two highways near the town of Otto, just to the south of the St. Louis area. The monkey had been staying at a nearby home when it managed to open a door and get outside.

The sheriff's office said the small monkey was returned to its caretaker after “careful negotiations and some coaxing." Photos posted on the sheriff's department Facebook page show a deputy kneeling on the ground before the tutu-clad monkey approached and grabbed his hands.

The sheriff's office said its a great example of how officers “having to be prepared to handle whatever the job throws at them.”

The timing was fortuitous. A winter storm packing snow and ice hit the region on Saturday, closing roads and sending temperatures plunging.

CORRECTS LOCATION TO NEAR OTTO NOT CALEDONIA This Jan. 3, 2025 image provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office shows officers and an escaped spider monkey near Otto, Mo. (Jefferson County Sheriff's Office via AP)

CORRECTS LOCATION TO NEAR OTTO NOT CALEDONIA This Jan. 3, 2025 image provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office shows an escaped spider monkey near Otto, Mo. (Jefferson County Sheriff's Office via AP)

CORRECTS LOCATION TO NEAR OTTO NOT CALEDONIA This Jan. 3, 2025 image provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office shows an officer and an escaped spider monkey near Otto, Mo. (Jefferson County Sheriff's Office via AP)