One rugby code has a chance of making it in the USA and its not league [Video]

The fact that Ilona Maher, the USA women’s sevens player, has a social media following that dwarfs Nathan Cleary says much about the social and sporting landscape.

Maher has 2.5 million followers on Instagram and another 2 million on TikTok, while the NRL’s best has just over 400,000 on Instagram.

That owes much to Maher’s charm, savvy and wit, but it also reflects that rugby’s reach compared to league’s is incomparable. The Olympics platform, with sevens introduced in 2016, is unmatchable.

Maher will be 31 for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. If she pushes through to those Games, she may be one of the faces of the event, a powerhouse personal brand who will elevate rugby with her.

In fact, even though Australia’s sevens campaign ended in tears, beaten-down rugby fans have been reminded over the past …