The Maher effect

Ilona Maher has taken the sports world by storm. And it really does matter, but in ways the men’s game fails to harness or maybe can’t even replicate. Those that really want to grow the women’s game, or any women’s sport for that matter, need to pay attention. She is marketing the sport better than any union, any competition and any club has, put together.

It all comes down to the makeup of players, the fans and what they want from the sport. Women and fans of the women’s game have different interests, different priorities. The mistake that is made over and over again, is thinking that women’s sport needs to mirror the men’s game to be successful. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

The men’s game is so well established, with 30 years of professionalism and a century and a half off the international game. The women’s game is, by comparison in its infancy. The men’s game, is so well crafted, with rules explored, revisited, and reassessed. Its athletes are trained from such a young age, the driver being getting to the top and winning. Players are analysed, video played over and over, statistics recorded and analysed so that nothing is missed. It’s the game of the finest margins, loved and adored by fans who sift through the detail and adore discussions on the intricacies of the sport. I’m one of them.

I’m also a huge fan of the women’s game, and I see what are not only differences in its current iteration, but the substantially different opportunities. Having been a fan amongst fans for so long, I see the difference in what the fan bases respond to, what gets them talking and what draws them in. It’s simple, women want personality.

Just this week we have seen how personality has been sanitised somewhat in the men’s game. After Mack Hansen made critical comments about match referee Chris Busby, Hansen received a three match ban. There is much disagreement about whether his comments were accurate or not, but few would argue that they were appropriate or were communicated using the correct channels. The result however, beyond the ban, is that the Connacht squad have been obliged to undergo media training. The aim of course must be to prevent further damage, to protect the brand, to protect the ‘rugby values’. It’s a type of damage control the men’s game is very familiar with.

In fact, the game and its players have a long history of controversial episodes, stories of misconduct, poor behaviour, rumours and even criminality. The sanitisation is arguably needed to protect the sport and distance the professional framework from the behaviour of individuals. While I would argue much more could be done to prevent these issues, rather than just being reactive, I think the most valuable point to make, is that the women’s game does not have these issues to worry about, or at least to a much lesser degree.

Content warning: Sexual violence

Sociologists will tell you at length that women are far more likely to be rule followers than rule breakers. Women on average find enjoyment in more…..innocent activities. I’ll eat my hat when I hear a story of a female player urinating on another person while heavily intoxicated, or of gang raping a woman as a team outing…..

I think women are likely to say critical things of refs, sure, I’m not saying women are perfect by any means. It wouldn’t shock me if we see female athletes getting drunk and rowdy, but not to the degree we see among male athletes. The greatest controversy I can remember in women’s sport is the IWNT singing Celtic Symphony and it angering some politically sensitive people. Honestly, much ado about nothing.

So, if damage control is not as much a requirement, then it leaves so much space to build personality into the game. And that’s what the fans want. Ilona Maher is the perfect example of that. Maher isn’t the greatest rugby player to ever play the game, she’s not even the greatest US player to play the game. What Maher has in abundance, is personality, charm, a sense of humour, humility, the ability to both stand up to her critics and to be self-deprecating. It’s less about her ego, which I’m sure there’s an element of there, but it’s about how engaging she is. Bordering on wholesome.

And the fans just lap it up!

Maher has amassed 4.8 million Instagram followers, 3.4 million on TikTok and more across various other socials. She hasn’t had a team of people behind her carefully curating her posts or strategising her brand. She’s simply being herself, or at least her social media self.

What this should tell everyone is that women’s fans want the authentic players, the personalities. We see this in other sports too. Ruesha Littlejohn is a fan favourite in the IWNT, because, well, she’s feckin hilarious. Every interview is like a mini standup routine. It’s harmless humour, there’s no target, nobody is being belittled, judged or demeaned. She’s a joy to watch both on and off the pitch.

In fact, a lot of the entertainment from women’s sport, which Ruesha is all too familiar with, is the drama of player’s love lives. The L Word intricacies of who is seeing who, team mates and rivals alike, relationships, breakups, weddings and all that goes with it. The drama!

Imagine if the major unions and clubs socials churned out more content, behind the scenes insights into the player’s interactions, their ups and downs, the commitment to their craft, their friendships and rivalries. We see some of this in men’s sport, with documentaries such as Drive to Survive and All or Nothing, but this heavily produced and controlled content is not what the women’s game needs. What’s needed is honest, raw and personable insights.

If we give more players room to be themselves, the characters among them will flourish and bring the game with them. It is simply the greatest way we can very quickly and effectively grow the game. It’s a marketer’s dream. The organisations simply need to look beyond the pitfalls and mistakes of the men’s game, stop assuming replicating it with women is the ideal, it’s not. Embrace our differences and our individuality and watch it soar.

The Irish Women’s Rugby Supporters Club.

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