Women can do anything men can do, and they can do it with a red lip.
That is what women’s rugby legend Ilona Maher taught young women everywhere when she started her Olympic journey in 2021. She created TikToks about the Olympic Village and the sport, spreading awareness that women also play rugby.
Her popularity grew in 2024 when she not only went viral for eating the massive croissants at the Village and spreading body positivity but also for helping the women’s rugby sevens team win bronze.
This medal was the first for the team since the start of the games.
The impact of this was seen everywhere, including Peoria. Established in 2020, Bootleggers began their journey as a team, inviting all those in the area to come and play with them.
Bootleggers is a part of the division three Peoria Rugby Club, and no previous experience with the sport is needed to try out and join.
Sophomore biochemistry major Gina Steckel took advantage of this opportunity and decided to give the sport a chance back in August.
“Last year at the activities fair, we still had the rugby club [at Bradley], and it was just something about [rugby],” Steckel said. “I didn’t really play any sports in high school, but [the president] was talking about how much she loves it.”
However, her journey didn’t start there, as she gradually stopped attending the practices. Fortunately, the sport was still in the back of Steckel’s mind, and one of her friends mentioned something about joining the Peoria team, which inspired her to give it a shot.
After joining the Bootleggers, Steckel started training in her position as a wing. On the wing, Steckel acts like a finisher for the team’s attacks to score points.
Steckel plays women’s 15 rugby in which there are forwards and backs. Forwards (normally eight people) are the ones in charge of getting involved in the scrum, where the players pack closely together with their heads angled downwards in an attempt to earn possession of the ball.
Whereas those in the back (normally the remaining seven players), where Steckel normally plays, wait for the ball and their time to attack.
Since joining the team, Steckel believes that more young girls should be exposed to rugby at the youth or high school level. She explains the reason she never played any sports in high school was that she wasn’t interested in the available sports.
“You don’t really need a lot, rugby isn’t that expensive, especially if a team or school already has a football field,” Steckel said. “I feel like there’s an opportunity there, and I think girls deserve that outlet for contact sport.”
Now more than ever, these female athletes need an outlet because of the professional growth of the sport. In April 2024, Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) became the first professional women’s rugby league to be established in the United States.
In its inaugural season, which began in March 2025, six teams were created across the country, each with a message dedicated to the women on the team and the city.
Bay Breakers, “relentless, enduring.” Boston Banshees, “supernatural, otherworldly, bringing wails of fury.” Chicago Tempest, “a relentless force, powerful, destructive, unyielding.” Denver Onyx, “rare, resilient, relentless.” New York Exiles, “…welcoming those who seek opportunity and to define new community.” And TC (Twin Cities) Gemini, “unity of mind, numerous in spirit.”
WER was established on the foundation of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), which was the highest level of women’s rugby from its inception in 2009 until 2024. Every team in the WER has been carefully selected for its ties to the WPL teams and its roots in the rugby community.
“I think it’s [WER] really cool,” Steckel said. “I just love sports, and I think rugby is a really interesting game if you know what’s going on, and I feel like people could be really into it if they gave it a chance.”
However, there is still a way to go for the audience watching the sport to grow. Typically, to watch women’s rugby matches, viewers need to buy a subscription.
Steckel feels that if the sport were easily accessible, then more people would have an interest in playing or going to watch the matches.
As someone who has never stepped foot on a rugby pitch, it would be nice to go to a bar or restaurant and watch a match live instead of having to fight with social media to watch clips of the matches.
We have already seen a switch with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), with more games being streamed and viewed in recent years. Now more than ever, all eyes have been on women’s sports.
“I think for rugby getting onto a bigger [platform] like cable TV or something, not some weird streaming service that’s $50 a month or whatever, something that’s more accessible would be really good for that [more viewership],” Steckel said.
“That’s kind of our problem, too, with the Peoria team,” Steckel added. “For sponsors and stuff. More eyes is more money, then that helps the game grow.”
Supporting local teams such as the Bootleggers at their matches can bring more attention to rugby and show that female athletes deserve just as much attention and praise for their hard work as their male counterparts.
You can find information about when they play on their Instagram.
And always remember: everyone watches women’s sports.
