How Bristol won an Instagram war to sign rugby's biggest star, who needs her own social media manager and is more popular than Antoine Dupont and Siya Kolisi combined: RUGBY CONFIDENTIAL

Ilona Maher was preparing to perform on Dancing With the Stars in Los Angeles when she first heard from Bristol Bears. Our social media guys are above every other club, they suit her style and she felt we could amplify what she tries to do on her profile.’ After the deal was announced on Monday evening, Bristol women’s social media following doubled overnight. The club has since advertised for a new social media manager, with a job description to tell the story of Maher’s short time in the West Country. She has almost eight million followers on social media - more than Siya Kolisi and Antoine Dupont combined ‘It’s a job to manage the women’s socials, which involves the Ilona project,’ said Mayes. AJ MacGinty has penned a new contract with Bristol Bears, Rugby Confidential understands Saracens were in a spin Tony Blair’s former spin doctor Alastair Campbell was a guest at Saracens training this week to hold a Q&A session with the squad, hosted by political student Maro Itoje.