Stiff-arms to wins: Highlights of Ilona Maher's rugby play at the Paris Olympics

Vermont's own Ilona Maher, the world's most followed rugby player on Instagram , is taking over another Olympic Games.

Three years after her social-media presence exploded on TikTok at the Tokyo Summer Games , the 27-year-old Maher has been one of the biggest stars in Paris since opening ceremonies.

From her stiff-arms on the rugby pitch drawing a likeness to NFL stars such as Derrick Henry to her handling of her multiple social media accounts and emphasis on body positivity and female athlete empowerment, Maher continues to gain notoriety and rack up more and more fans on social media. Maher has added nearly one million followers on Instagram over the last three weeks to 1.6 million (and she also has 1.7 million followers on TikTok ).

More: Vermont's Olympic rugby star Ilona Maher is catching attention online. See why

Maher, a 2014 graduate of Burlington High School in Vermont, will lead Team USA into a semifinal match vs. reigning Olympic gold medalist New Zealand on Tuesday, July 30. The contest is set for 9:30 a.m.

Here's a sampling of Maher's activity, on and off the field, that has gone viral in Paris.

Maher's stiff-arms a big highlight for fans

During pool play, Maher scored after beating the defenders with a stiff arm move. Those plays got cheers from many.

How Ilona Maher handles online trolls

Maher has taken on body image, online trolls and self confidence on her TikTok and Instagram accounts making her an internet sensation.

Ilona Maher shows an authentic side with her social-media posts

In an interview in early July, Michael Maher, Ilona's father, told the Burlington Free Press that her daughter is "not pretending to be anything she’s not." That has shown through to the outside world.

Ilona Maher converts former NFL star Jason Kelce into a rugby fan

Did you know the USA Women’s Rugby Seven team wand is the Eagles? Well Jason Kelce, a former center for the NFL football team the Philadelphia Eagles, stopped by to cheer on these Eagles.

Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com . Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5 .

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Stiff-arms to wins: Highlights of Ilona Maher's rugby play at the Paris Olympics