• Ilona Maher is playing a new type of rugby in England

• In a bid to make the USA Women’s Eagles Rugby World Cup squad, the Olympian is playing rugby 15s on her new team, the Bristol Bears

• Early in her three-month run, fans have clamored to see the athlete in action

Ilona Maher is adapting to playing rugby across the pond, thanks to a warm reception by her teammates and fans — and one killer overnight oats recipe.

The Olympic bronze medalist tells PEOPLE that life in Bristol, England, where she recently debuted in the Premiership Women’s Rugby league, is going bloody well, with an unfortunate emphasis on the “blood.”

“This is my first time breaking my nose, but 11 years of rugby and I held off for a pretty long time, so that's good, I guess,” Maher, 28, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview tied to her new partnership with Quaker Oats.

The injury came during Maher’s debut in the starting lineup with the Bristol Bears on Saturday, Jan. 18. After colliding with three defenders on the pitch at Ashton Gate, the athlete left the game early, later calling the injury “just a little knock.”

Four days later, the social media star gamely jumped on a Zoom with PEOPLE — video on, and all.

Related: Ilona Maher Announces She's Joining U.K. Rugby Team Bristol Bears — See Her Hilarious Announcement Video!

“Give it a little bit more time to rest, but then I'll be back out there,” she smiles, while sporting significant bruising across her face.

The Vermont native knows something about putting herself out there.

In signing a three-month contract with Bristol, Maher’s return to rugby 15s is viewed as an official bid for a spot on the USA Women’s Eagles Rugby World Cup squad in 2025.

“I think it's just good to get back into 15s because I've been playing Sevens for six years, so I wanted to go somewhere where I can really immerse myself and really see the game in that way and feel it out,” she says. “Because if I want to pursue this World Cup thing, I want to be the best player that Team USA needs or that they deserve.”

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Maher adds that there are “many more moving parts in 15s” and that strategy is paramount, while “Sevens is a lot about fitness and those one-on-one battles.”

As she adjusts to a new type of play, she's also paying more attention to her nutrition, and teaming up with Quaker Oats.

Related: Ilona Maher Says Adjusting to Viral Fame was 'Hard' — But Working with Sports Psychologist Helped (Exclusive)

"It's just the simplicity of that, knowing what you're eating," Maher says about her past love for a quick microwaved bowl of oats. "But recently I've been into overnight oats. I found this recipe that the guy makes where I train. Freaking delicious, this thing. I was like, this is elevated."

So far, fans have had an appetite to see Maher in action.

For her debut with the team on Jan. 5, organizers had to move the match from a smaller venue to Ashton Gate, where a crowd of 9,240 spectators took in the action against defending champion Gloucester-Hartpury.

“I don't know if I anticipated that,” Maher tells PEOPLE. “I thought I hoped for it, but I didn't really know because my fan base is not really just rugby players. It's so much bigger than that. So I didn't really know what it would be. I didn't know when we announced in December that the buzz around it was already pretty big and that tickets were already really moving."

She adds, “And I know that more than half the people there had never actually watched the rugby game. They came to watch me, but I'm happy they came and watched me. I hope that that means they'll come to the next game even if I'm not playing.”

In the meantime, the star can’t help but look back on an epic 2024 that saw her winning a medal at the Paris Olympics, repeatedly going viral on social media and placing second on Dancing with the Stars. Is there anything Maher can’t do in 2025?

“I was so excited to have done Dancing with the Stars,” she tells PEOPLE. “It was very tough, but I also feel like that was great. I did it. What can I do next? What's another thing that I could try? Another thing to check off and give a go? So it was amazing and I did so many cool things last year, but I am excited to try new things that I haven't even thought of yet that do scare me in a way.”

“I can't think of them now, but I know there's so much,” she says jokingly. “Even DWTS was always a no no, no. And then now when it came to me, we agreed to it and it was a great decision for me.”

Read the original article on People