Ilona Maher gives a hilarious take on missing Met Gala for Team USA duties

Ilona Maher is the best known face of rugby across the globe. Recently, the Olympic medalist shared her hilarious take on missing the 2025 Met Gala for Team USA duties.

Maher has enjoyed a large following on social media for several years now. The American first found fame during the days of the Tokyo Olympics, where she gave fans inside glimpses of what an athlete’s life at the Olympic village looks like. Three year later, at the 2024 Games, her popularity skyrocketed after she led Team USA to a historic bronze in the rugby sevens event.

Since Paris, Maher has gone on to become a household name, even making an appearance on hit reality TV show Dancing With The Stars. However, despite being the face of rugby worldwide, Ilona Maher missed the 2025 Met Gala as she prepares to represent Team USA at their upcoming Pacific Four Series match in Australia.

Sharing her honest thoughts on missing the marquee event, Maher took to Instagram to post a video where she can be seen posing in an airport, with text in the video reading ‘how I'd pose at the Met Gala but instead I'm in team issued gear about to board an 18 hour flight in economy’.

She captioned the video,

“Nah, I for sure don't have fomo. I actually am excited to sleep upright.”

Ilona Maher gets honest about her future in rugby

Maher at the Paris Olympics (Image Source: Getty)

After the Paris Olympics, Ilona Maher took a break from rugby as she explored other adventures. Recently, she returned to the field for Team USA, playing in the Pacific Four Series match against Canada. The game was a disappointment for the USA, as the Eagles were handed a 14-26 loss.

After the match, Maher reflected on her future in rugby while highlighting how to grow the sport, telling media,

“I don’t know how much longer I’ll do it. So I want to leave it in a better place. I do make my brand about growing rugby, but I think it’s not just me growing it. It’s all of us. It’s my teammates — all of us who need a little bit of the spotlight as well. I think the spotlight has been on me a lot, but I hope this World Cup brings more people out and creates more rugby superstars.”

Ilona Maher and Team USA will return to action on Saturday, May 17 for their Pacific Four Series clash against Australia.