Corrigan: Maher can help transform league that is more competitive than ever

Saracens centre Alysha Corrigan has tipped Ilona Maher to have a transformative impact on Premiership Women’s Rugby ahead of her Bristol Bears debut next month.

Maher was met with a rapturous reception on her arrival on English shores, and the American is set to make her debut next month.

And Corrigan, an Olympic silver medallist with Canada’s sevens team in Paris this summer, highlighted the significant role her fellow North American is playing in raising the profile of the sport.

“The impact that she has on the women's game right now is massive,” she said. “I think it's been a real positive for her to come over here.

“You look at Bristol's followers now - you just see the amount that it has already taken off. It's only going to do good things for the league and hopefully for women's rugby, and all of that leading up to the World Cup will be awesome.”

The eagle has landed 🦅

Fans got a first look at @ilona_maher at Ashton Gate on Sunday 🤩#PWR #PoweredDifferently pic.twitter.com/TQWJn0ddb9

— Premiership Women's Rugby (@ThePWR) December 10, 2024

Corrigan represents a big name in her own right, having been a leading figure in Canada's historic silver-winning sevens side.

A major highlight of the medal run was beating hosts France 29-20 in front of a 70,000-strong Stade de France crowd.

“Whenever they ran out the stadium was literally shaking. It was so loud,” she reflected.

“There's nothing that's going to be able to prepare you for those moments, but you just have to trust the process and all the work that you put in.

“Hearing the national anthem with the girls and having my whole family there and my friends, was pretty special. 

“I think looking back at it like you can appreciate it a little bit more now, it’s fun to go back and look at pictures and reminisce about it.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Final building blocks in place. 🧱<a href=" <a href="; Saracens Women (@SaracensWomen) <a href=" 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="" charset="utf-8"></script>

Following the Olympics, the 27-year-old made the decision to return to Saracens following a successful period at the club which culminated in a title win in 2021/22.

She said: “My last season was a pretty special year with a good group of girls and the last two years were sad to watch from afar, but I was still a fan..

“But as I came back, it felt like I never left, even though there was a turnover with players and staff.

“That's the nice thing about Sarries, you're always one of them, no matter if you took some time away or whatever, it's still going to feel like home when you come back.

“I definitely had FOMO, but it was always the plan to come back.”

Corrigan has now joined the likes of Marlie Packer, Poppy Cleall and Sophie de Goede in a Sarries dressing room brimming with international talent.

“The club as a whole have completely elevated their standards,” she said.

“We have a new facility, the new stand got built, we have new changing rooms and just the way our week looks is a little bit different in terms of structure.

“There's lots of little things that have changed, but all in a positive way, and they have literally all made me feel like I didn't leave.”

Throwing it 🔙 to this superb score last time we met 🍒.#YourSaracens💫 pic.twitter.com/e6GLKKQFvn

— Saracens Women (@SaracensWomen) December 12, 2024

Saracens sit second in the table with just one match left to play before Christmas, with an enticing clash with Gloucester-Hartpury left to round off 2024.

They sit behind only Exeter Chiefs and just a point ahead of Harlequins in what has shaped up to be an enthralling race for the play-offs, something Corrigan feels can only benefit the league.

She added: “Every year it just keeps getting more competitive, more competitive, more competitive.

“I think that like this year is, for sure, the most competitive the league has ever been.

“Before, you knew who was going to end up top four - it was just who is going to get a home semi final?

“But this year each game is so competitive, and you have to be at your best if you want to get a win.

“It's a short season, we just need to build off every game and tweak a couple things every week that we need to work on.

“Whenever it comes to knockout rugby that's something where Saracens thrive - we’ve just got to get our head down and get to work for the next eight games.”