Ilona Maher, the world’s most followed rugby player on social media, has been beating most of the staff to the ground and trained on New Year’s Day as she aims to hit the ground running at Bristol Bears.

The American’s move to Bristol on a three-month deal is a significant acquisition for Premiership Women’s Rugby, with Maher having more than eight million followers across social media platforms.

The video announcing her signing attracted more than seven million views on TikTok and she is poised to make her debut on Sunday after head coach Dave Ward named her on the bench for his side’s West Country derby against Gloucester-Hartpury. A crowd of around 8,000 is expected at Ashton Gate, which would be a record attendance for a Bristol Bears women’s fixture.

“[She has been] professional, ready to go. She was in yesterday – New Year’s Day – when no one was in,” Ward said. “She’s doing everything she can and we want to make sure that she’s right and we’re right as well. She did have a little bit of an illness but so far so good.”

He added: “She was in before most of our staff this morning (Thursday). She didn’t quite beat me in but she was pretty close, she just wants to hit the ground running as best as she can and if we can support her, we’ll definitely do that.”

Primarily a sevens player, after a breakout Olympics in Paris, Maher’s profile has seen her compete in the United States version of Strictly Come Dancing, finishing second on Dancing With The Stars, but her attention has switched back to rugby.

Maher’s last caps for the US in XVs were in 2021, but with her sights firmly set on the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England in the autumn, she has signed for Bristol on a short-term deal.

“The temptation is to start her at eight and make her captain, but that’s not quite going to happen,” Ward said, such is the scale of her reach in the sport.

Despite being “down to earth” and “professional”, Ward admits the flagship signing is not “quite herself yet” and although her competitive streak emerged during a game of volleyball, it remains to be seen how long it will be before she is unleashed on the pitch in a Bears shirt.

Four anticipated rugby debuts

With Maher on the cusp of a highly-anticipated debut for Bristol, Telegraph Sport takes a look at four other memorable rugby union debuts.

Andy Farrell – Saracens v Newcastle, September 2006

The former Great Britain rugby league captain had been patient, with his debut delayed considerably through injury. The previous December a car crash curtailed what would have been his union debut, leaving plenty of time to speculate over his most suited position in the 15-a-side game. Instead it was in a 44-20 win over Newcastle almost a year later that Farrell came on as a substitute in the 64th minute, after his A League match against Harlequins had been watched by more than 1,000 fans.

Sam Burgess – Bath v Harlequins, November 2014

Burgess was already touted for England when he made his Bath debut just one week after fracturing his cheekbone as South Sydney Rabbitohs won the NRL Grand Final. The debut itself was a 17-minute appearance, and marked his first union outing. His inclusion was hailed by a loud cheer from the home support when his name was read out prior to kick-off. Sadly, the excitement around his arrival in union dissipated during the ill-fated 2015 World Cup campaign, before his eventual return to league.

Jonny Wilkinson – Toulon v Stade Francais, August 2009

Few could enjoy a better club debut than Wilkinson, who marked his first Toulon appearance by scoring 17 points in a 22-22 draw with Stade Francais, including a trademark drop goal. Although his Newcastle and England career had been blighted by injury, Wilkinson thrived and was beloved by Toulon fans, who he had to win over after being part of the England side who knocked France out of successive World Cups.

Joseph Sua’ali’i – England v Australia, November 2024

Code-switching is usually highly anticipated, as in the case of Farrell and Burgess, but few make such an impression as Sua’ali’i, who had not played a game of club XVs before taking on England at Twickenham. His decision to jump straight into the international stage was a bold one, but it paid off for the 21-year-old, who produced impressive offloads as well as solid defensive work in an upset 42-37 victory.