NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
Team USA star Ilona Maher is unhappy with her alma mater, Quinnipiac University, after its recent decision regarding its women’s rugby team.
The university issued a statement Tuesday, indicating a realignment of its athletics program “to support long-term competitive, financial and Title IX goals.” Within the statement, the women’s rugby team is transitioning from a university team to a club team “at the conclusion of the current competitive cycle.”
“These decisions are never easy, but they are essential to ensuring that Quinnipiac Athletics remains equitable, competitive and sustainable for the long term,” athletic director Greg Amodio said in the statement.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Ilona Maher of the USA watches during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 pool match between the USA and Australia at the York Community Stadium in York, England, on August 30, 2025. (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Quinnipiac’s transition to the women’s rugby team “follows a holistic assessment that incorporates competitive sustainability, national participation trends, resource allocation and gender equity impacts,” according to the statement.
No matter the case, Maher is furious and made it public on social media.
“What a shame,” he posted on his Instagram Stories while tagging the school and athletics page with a screenshot of the statement showing the decision.
USA RUGBY TO INTRODUCE ‘OPEN’ GENDER CATEGORY FOR TRANS ATHLETES
Maher then posted a text chain she had with an unknown recipient, asking if “the girls are going to lose scholarships and everything.”
“Yes,” the other line responded. “None of them can afford to stay. I have two athletes who don’t have parents. They have nowhere to go if they’re not at QU. I can’t believe this happened.”
The statement adds that the university will “redirect college-level resources to programs with greater long-term stability and strategic alignment,” which would confirm this text chain about scholarships for women in the program.
Ilona Maher is seen before the NCAA women’s basketball national championship game between UCLA and South Carolina at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona on April 5, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
“This action is in no way intended to diminish the dedication, effort or ability of these excellent student-athletes, coaches and alumni,” Amodio added. “They have contributed greatly to Quinnipiac Athletics and to the vitality and history of the University.”
The Bobcats are also adding a men’s indoor and outdoor distance running program to their existing track and field team as part of this new realignment. The university saw it as a “high-impact opportunity” to advance “both competitive and gender equity goals” for the athletics program.
“Athletics will coordinate with Campus Recreation to ensure that women’s rugby remains a well-organized and well-resourced club program, and will work closely with students to ensure a smooth and respectful transition,” the statement continued.
Maher, 29, was recruited to join the Bobcats women’s rugby team after playing at Norwich University, her first year playing the sport. Maher’s father, Michael, encouraged her to try it after she grew tired of softball.
Ilona Maher of the United States plays during the Women’s Rugby World Cup match against Samoa at the LNER Community Stadium in York on September 6, 2025. (Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pak Gazette APP
Maher helped Quinnipiac win three National Intercollegiate Rugby Association championships and was named to the NIRA All-American team all three years. She also received the MA Sorensen Award as the nation’s top college player in 2017.
In 2024, Maher was instrumental in helping the US women’s rugby team to the country’s first medal in the sport, winning bronze over Australia.
