The U.S women’s rugby sevens team started off its Olympic Games in Paris with a dominant 36-7 win against Japan. And it was clear that Ilona Maher — an absolute star on TikTok, by the way — set the tone early for Team USA.
She channeled her inner Beast Mode in the process.
After Japan went up 7-0, it was all U.S. the rest of the way. And in the first half, Maher got the ball with some space and on her first carry of the match, the Burlington, Vt., native leveled a helpless Japanese defender and showed off the speed as she cruised past the try-line for the score.
But seriously, it was all about that stiff arm.
ILONA MAHER COMING THROUGH. 💥#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/Im8JPa5WPs
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) July 28, 2024
Derrick Henry would be proud about that one. It had U.S. fans fired up as well.
This was how Twitter/X reacted
This is the Barry Sanders of womens rugby https://t.co/kQSMqK0owF
— Collin Beier, THE Biggest Bird 🕊🦃🦚 (@CBeier3) July 28, 2024
Does the Iowa Football team have any more scholarships available https://t.co/mkb0tKxrOZ
— Jen (@JenksHawk) July 28, 2024
very derrick henryesque https://t.co/z9xFF9rXq0
— keysword (@pioppiopy) July 28, 2024
Such a beast and hilarious on TikTok https://t.co/KdvlnY1PTV
— BB-k8 (@k8andbake) July 28, 2024
Watch the woman in the headgear next to the one who got trucked. She made an IMMEDIATE business decision to get out of there https://t.co/4nh5cXHVpU
— Patrick Netherton (@PTNetherton) July 28, 2024
the kind of running back that half of the NFL teams wish they had https://t.co/ZLezk1l6ob
— Remi Monaghan (@RemiMonaghan) July 28, 2024
https://t.co/7y4H9jRxg8 pic.twitter.com/U3XiHOMqyS
— Charles T (@ChuckyT3) July 28, 2024
