NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Team USA star Ilona Maher is not happy with her alma mater, Quinnipiac University, after their recent decision on their women’s rugby team.
The university released a statement Tuesday citing 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 varsity team to a club team “at the end of the current competition cycle.”
“These decisions are never easy, but they are critical to ensuring that Quinnipiac Athletics remains fair, competitive and sustainable for the long term,” athletic director Greg Amodio said in the statement.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Ilona Maher of the United States looks on during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool A match between the United States and Australia at 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 equity impacts,” according to the statement.
Whatever the case, Maher is furious, and she made it public on social media.
“Shame on you,” she wrote on her Instagram stories, tagging the school and athletics page with a screenshot of the statement showing the decision.
USA RUGBY INTRODUCES ‘OPEN’ GENDER CATEGORY FOR TRANS ATHLETES
Then Maher posted a text chain she had with an unknown recipient asking if “girls are going to lose scholarships and everything.”
“Yes,” replied the other line. “None of them can afford to stay. I have two athletes who have no 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 university-level resources to programs with greater long-term stability and strategic alignment,” which would confirm this text chain about scholarships for the women in the program.
Ilona Maher is seen before the NCAA women’s national championship basketball game between UCLA and South Carolina at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on April 5, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
“This action is in no way intended to diminish the dedication, effort or ability of these fine 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 teams as part of this new realignment. The university considered it a “high-impact opportunity” to advance “both competitive and equity goals” of the athletics program.
“Athletics will coordinate with Campus Recreation to ensure women’s rugby remains a well-resourced and organized 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 ever playing the game. Maher’s father, Michael, encouraged her to try it after she got 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 Pakinomist APP
Maher helped Quinnipiac win three National Intercollegiate Rugby Association championships, and she was named to the NIRA All-American team all three of those years. She also received the MA Sorensen Award as the country’s best collegiate female player in 2017.
In 2024, Maher was a key piece in helping Team USA’s women’s rugby team secure the country’s first-ever medal in the sport, winning bronze over Australia.
