Swimsuit

Nicole Heavirland Says It Has Been ‘Amazing’ Watching Teammate Ilona Maher on ‘DWTS’

The women brought home Team USA‘s first Olympic bronze medal for rugby sevens at the Paris Games this year.

Ananya Panchal

Nicole Heavirland and Ilona Maher
Nicole Heavirland and Ilona Maher / Joe Scarnici/Getty Images

Nicole Heavirland and Ilona Maher have shared countless high-stakes moments on the rugby field, but this year brought new opportunities for celebration both on and off the pitch. The teammates helped secure Team USA’s first Olympic bronze medal in rugby sevens at the Paris Games in July, and now the 29-year-old is proudly cheering on Maher, 28, as she waltzes her way through Dancing With the Stars.

“It’s been amazing,” Heavirland tells SI Swimsuit of watching Maher compete on the hit reality show. “I went to [a live] show on Tuesday [Nov. 12], and I saw her be super nervous, and I was like, ‘I’ve seen that face.’ I’ve seen that face before the tunnel before we play in a match.”

The rugby star noted how Maher’s demeanor shifted when she took to the ballroom. “Before she danced she was super confident, and it was just cool to see all the emotions that day,” she adds.

Heavirland has been sharing tons of sweet and hilarious social media content encouraging fans to vote for Maher tonight. We see why the two get along so well, as they both have the same impeccable sense of humor!

Maher and partner Alan Bersten are one of five pairs headed into the Season 33 finale this evening.

Winning bronze

Both athletes agree that the groundbreaking Olympic achievement was the highlight of the year. “It’s been, I mean, amazing for women in sports and rugby in America,” Heavirland reflects. “It was the highlight [of my year] for sure.”

Maher shares similar sentiments, emphasizing the importance of the team effort. “I think winning a medal with my team [was the best part of 2024], because it wasn’t just for me, it was for my teammates and for my program. We did so much, we worked so hard together,” she tells us while at a celebratory event at the Dante Beverly Hills on Nov. 14.

SI Swimsuit’s newest reveals

As athletes, both pro rugby stars are no strangers to breaking barriers, and they’re thrilled to see other female athletes being celebrated. Heavirland speaks highly of the newly-announced women joining the 2025 SI Swimsuit magazine roster.

Track and field athlete Gabby Thomas, gymnast Suni Lee, golfer Nelly Korda, skier Eileen Gu, swimmer Ali Truwit, surfer Caroline Marks, gymnast Jordan Chiles, basketball player Cameron Brink, heptathlete Anna Hall and race car driver Toni Breidinger were all photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton in Boca Raton, Fla., for next year’s issue.

“[It] makes me feel confident,” Heavirland says. “As athletes, we train so hard for our bodies, and to be showcased is amazing. I’m proud of those women and I hope more athletes can show their bodies.”

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When she is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, Panchal can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast. Panchal has a bachelor’s in communications and journalism from Boston University.

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