Ilona Maher rips Quinnipiac, her alma mater, after school cuts women's rugby to club status: 'Shame on you'

Team USA prima Ilona Maher is not happy pinch her alma mater, Quinnipiac University, aft their caller determination regarding their women’s rugby team.

The assemblage released a statement connected Tuesday, stating a realignment of their athletics programme "to support semipermanent competitive, financial, and Title IX objectives." Within nan statement, nan women’s rugby squad is transitioning from a varsity squad to a nine squad "at nan conclusion of nan existent competitory cycle."

"These decisions are ne'er easy, but they are basal to ensuring that Quinnipiac Athletics remains equitable, competitive, and sustainable for nan agelong term," diversion head Greg Amodio said successful nan statement.

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Ilona Maher of nan USA looks connected during nan Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool A lucifer betwixt nan USA and Australia astatine York Community Stadium successful York, England, connected Aug. 30, 2025. (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Quinnipiac’s modulation of nan women’s rugby squad "follows a holistic appraisal that incorporates competitory sustainability, nationalist information trends, assets allocation, and gender equity impacts," according to nan statement.

No matter nan case, Maher is furious, and she went nationalist pinch it connected societal media.

"Shame connected you," she posted to her Instagram Stories while tagging nan schoolhouse and nan athletics page pinch a screenshot of nan connection showcasing nan decision.

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Then, Maher posted a matter concatenation she had pinch an chartless recipient, wherever she asked if "girls will suffer scholarships and everything."

"Yes," nan different statement responded. "None of them tin spend to stay. I person 2 athletes who person nary parents. They person obscurity to spell if they aren’t astatine QU. I can’t judge this happened."

The connection adds nan assemblage will "redirect varsity level resources to programs pinch greater semipermanent stableness and strategical alignment," which would corroborate this matter concatenation astir scholarships for nan women successful nan program.

Ilona Maher is seen earlier nan NCAA women's hoops nationalist title crippled betwixt UCLA and South Carolina astatine Mortgage Matchup Center successful Phoenix, Ariz., connected April 5, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

"This action is successful nary measurement meant to diminish nan dedication, effort aliases expertise of these good student athletes, coaches and alumni," Amodio added. "They person contributed greatly to Quinnipiac Athletics and to nan vitality and history of nan University."

The Bobcats are besides adding a men’s indoor and outdoor distance moving program to their existing way and section squad arsenic portion of this caller realignment. The assemblage viewed it arsenic a "high effect opportunity" to beforehand "both competitory and gender equity objectives" for nan athletics program.

"Athletics will coordinate pinch Campus Recreation to guarantee women’s rugby remains a well-resources and organized nine programme and will activity intimately pinch students to guarantee a soft and respectful transition," nan connection continued.

Maher, 29, was recruited to subordinate nan Bobcats’ women’s rugby squad aft playing astatine Norwich University — her first twelvemonth ever playing nan game. Maher’s father, Michael, encouraged her to effort it aft she grew tired of softball.

Ilona Maher of nan United States plays during nan Women's Rugby World Cup lucifer against Samoa astatine LNER Community Stadium successful York connected Sept. 6, 2025. (Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto)

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Maher helped Quinnipiac triumph 3 National Intercollegiate Rugby Association championships, and she was named to nan NIRA All-American squad each 3 of those years. She was besides fixed nan MA Sorensen Award arsenic nan country’s apical collegiate women’s subordinate successful 2017.

In 2024, Maher was a cardinal portion successful helping Team USA's women's rugby squad unafraid nan country's first-ever badge successful nan sport, winning bronze complete Australia.