This story is jointly published by nonprofits Amplify Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune to elevate diverse perspectives in local media through student journalism.
The Majestics Girls Rugby Club has seen massive improvements in the Utah team’s six years of existence, says head coach Angela Tuiaki — and there’s been significant growth in women’s rugby as a whole in the last few years.
Both gains, Tuiaki said, can be credited to one name: Ilona Maher.
“There's rugby, the word rugby, and then there's Ilona’s name next to it. That's how people understand it,” Tuiaki said. “If her name is not next to rugby, people will be like, ‘Wait, what's rugby?’ Well, you know, Ilona, and they're like, ‘Oh yes!’”
Angela Tuiaki addresses the girls on the Majestics Rugby Club team following their afternoon practice. She started the club six years ago with her sister, Jen Sika, to create a place for girls who don’t fit in other sports. Photo: Elle Crossley
Maher helped put the world’s eyes on women’s rugby after helping lead the USA’s Sevens team to a bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Following the team’s success, USA Club Rugby has reported a membership spike of after more than half of its expected players were registered for the 2024-2025 season just a month into the current registration cycle, as of October 10, 2024.
Maher’s influence doesn’t end there. From her Olympic success, to her nearly 5 million Instagram followers and appearance last fall on ”Dancing with the Stars”, Maher has redefined what is possible for female athletes, Tuiaki said.
She’s made an especially significant impact in shifting expectations about beauty, said Tuiaki, who launched the Majestics with her sister, Jen Sika. “Just understanding and knowing that beauty is not one thing. I really think Ilona has brought that,” she said.
With more followers than any other rugby player in the world — man or woman — Maher has chosen to use her platform to champion body positivity. On her TikTok, she promotes celebrating all body types, emphasizing that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.
The girls on the Layton Christian Academy’s girls club rugby team practice drills at Barnes Park in Kaysville, Utah. Eseta Moala, the first receiver for the team, says tackling is her favorite part of the game. Photo: Elle Crossley
“This body is amazing and it does amazing things for me, and there isn’t one body type for female athletes or for women,” Maher said in a TikTok post in October 2022. “So, today, I want you all to look in the mirror and appreciate what you got, realize what it does for you, and remember you are beautiful.”
Young Utah athletes say these messages have made a tangible difference in their lives. Marley Larkin, the captain of the Majestics, said Maher has helped her feel empowered on the field and beyond.
“She's brought a lot of great respect and confidence for body shapes and body sizes,” Larkin said after a recent team practice at Glendale Middle School.
That’s especially true, Larkin said, because in rugby, “every body kind of goes to a different position and you need all these different body sizes [and] shapes to complete the rugby team.”
A bit north of the Majestics’ west Salt Lake City training ground, the players of the Layton Christian Academy girls rugby club said they recognize the impact Maher has made in their community.
Eseta Moala, the team’s first receiver, said the rugby star, who stands at 5 feet, 10 inches and weighs about 200 pounds, taught her to find confidence in her strength.
“At first, I was embarrassed because of my size. Like, what are they going to think? But she didn't really care about her size,” said Moala, whose sister Luisa also plays for Layton Christian Academy. “She just decided to play, and now it's her beauty. That's how she stands out.”
The girls’ mother, Victoria Moala, said she noticed a difference in how the positive role model helped boost her daughters’ self-esteem.
“My girls, they're Tongan, and so their bodies are built a little bit different from their peers,” she said.
Both girls struggled with their body image growing up, but Victoria Moala said Maher — who is of Dutch and Irish heritage — showed them that they could use their Pacific Islander identities to their advantage.
“Seeing her, what she's accomplished, gives my daughter someone to look up to. Just using their background as Polynesians, to be able to push that forward and represent who their true identity is being Polynesian,” she said. “And then to take advantage, take that onto the field and be proud of themselves.”
Sisters Eseta (Right) and Luisa Moala (Left) play on the Layton Christian Academy’s girls club rugby team. They both say they look up to Maher and they’re inspired by her confidence. Photo: Elle Crossley
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders make up nearly 2% of Utah’s population, according to 2020 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute reports that’s the third-highest share in the United States behind Hawaii and Alaska. Tuiaki said the Majestics are an almost all-Polynesian team, and Maher has shown them how rugby can create opportunities for their future.
“They're starting to make that connection, ‘I could be up there. I could bring a platform to actually show the world who I am, too,’” she said. “Ilona showed herself through rugby, getting recognized through rugby, and there's so much more that these girls can actually show the world.”
Some of the girls on the Majestics are getting that recognition. Larkin, for instance, has committed to Dartmouth College for this fall to continue her education and play Division I rugby. She said she wants to keep the cycle of inspiration going.
“It's not about us, it's about the community. The people around looking even at a bigger scale to see, to have other Poly girls, other Pacific Islander Girls, look at our team and know it's possible,” she said. “‘Oh, I can do it, too. They can do it, I can do it as well.’”
Elle Crossley wrote and produced this story as a journalism student at the University of Utah for a capstone course focused on women’s sports. It is published as part of a collaborative including nonprofits Amplify Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune.
