Alev Kelter: WXV, sevens success, and a move back to the PWR

USA Eagles' Alev Kelter made her return to the XVs game in the first round of WXV 1 this year following a stunning summer of sevens success at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Kelter’s involvement in the Eagles’ first match of the tournament stood out against England despite the loss and marked her first Test XVs match since Rugby World Cup 2021.

Last weekend's WXV 1 match against France additionally saw her earn her 25th Test cap in XVs.

The centre spoke to RugbyPass following the second-round match against France at Langley Events Centre.

"They're such different games but I'm so excited to play XVs,” she explained. “It's such a team sport, you need every single person, one through 15, one through 23, one through 30.

"I'm really proud of the work ethic that we're putting in. The strategy that Sione's bringing and challenging us, Mel [Bosman] and the forward pack too. It's wonderful to see our forwards doing their jobs and giving us space for the backs to strike out wide.”

The seismic impact of the USA women’s sevens bronze medal has been widely felt, and the subsequent boost of interest in the sport is something Kelter is massively excited about.

She said: "It's taken off so much in the States. Every single college and team is buzzing right now. They’ve said that they were having 10 or 15 players trying to pull out to the team, they have 30-50 now. It's so exciting.

"I went back home to Alaska, Alaska youth rugby has grown 20-30% for youth players and they want it in the schools. We're going to give it to them - we're excited to spread the game and spread the love."

Alongside the Olympic bronze medal, USA women’s sevens were also awarded a game-changing $4 million investment over the next four years from trailblazing businesswoman Michelle Kang.

Kelter explained the impact of the investment on the team: "She's amazing. She talks a lot about pink it and shrink it. That it's not just about women's sporting equipment, you can't just put pink on it and shrink it.

"She talks about from ACL injury prevention to getting the right player welfare to the right stadiums, she's investing in world-class soccer teams all around the world. She decided to come back, we actually asked her to come back and watch that bronze medal game, she drove back and she watched it."

The 33-year-old, who has represented her country and three Olympic Games and two Rugby World Cups added: “She was so inspired by that last play with Spiff going up the middle and scoring that final try and converting her kick that she decided to give $1 million a year for the next four years.

"That's going to be tremendous in our programme but it takes a lot of women who have come before us to set that platform. There are a lot of women who are investing in women and that's what we want to see; women supporting women and empowering each other. We couldn't ask for more and I'm so grateful.”

The global platform of Kelter's sevens teammate Ilona Maher skyrocketed during the Games, and she has subsequently become the most-followed rugby player of all time on social media, now with four million followers on Instagram alone and a further 2.6 million on TikTok.

Maher, who is currently a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, has become a figurehead for the sport, and her platform has boosted awareness of rugby, in particular the women’s game, in the USA and further afield.

"We love her. We're so grateful that she's given so many eyes to the sport, not just for our team. I was just talking to some of the Irish girls and they're grateful for her too. It's not just our teammates, it's all around,” Kelter explained.

“She's the most followed rugby player in the world and that is something that is wonderful. She's also an amazing human. We're grateful to be blessed by her presence but at the same time we know that is doing a job that only she can do and we're grateful we can follow her footsteps in growing the game as well.”

Kelter’s return from sevens ahead of a big year for XVs has meant that she’s been able to compete in WXV for the first time, a competition in which she sees the value of developing their team and women’s rugby as a whole.

"I don't think we'd ever get a chance to play the top four teams [outside of PAC 4] had we not done WXV. I'm really grateful and really blessed. We can see that that glass ceiling is being shattered by giving us the opportunity to play against the top four teams. When there's a glimmer of hope and a glimmer of belief in ourselves, that can change a programme.

“We saw it with us believing in ourselves with the sevens team and how that can change our ability to grow the game in America. We're branding a new type of rugby, especially with the sevens programme, and the Highwomen. We talk about that and we bring that same culture and that same drive over to XVs.

“We want to see that professionalism grow, and that starts with WXV. Being a part of that and seeing those girls earn the spot to be here, and then having the opportunity to play and put our hands up for that World Cup team is a dream.”

With eyes on the Women’s Rugby World Cup next year, Kelter is making a move back to England to play in the Premiership Women’s Rugby league for the 2024/25 season after the completion of WXV.

Kelter has history in the competition, winning the title with Saracens in 2022, and will join Loughborough Lightning this autumn where she will play alongside fiancé Kathryn Treder, who she proposed to in Paris after playing at the Olympics.

She said: "I played two years ago with Sarries and we won the whole thing which was an unbelievable experience and something I'm so proud to have been a part of. I learned what professionalism is and at the highest level the PWR put out such a great competitive spirit and nature of the game, it's wonderful to be a part of that.

“That competitiveness brought me there but also we are gearing up for a World Cup in England. We know it's going to be unbelievable but it's great to have that experience and gains under your belt. Playing every weekend is a dream. To do that and also have that be your full-time job is also something that I'll be proud to tell my kids one day.”

The USA will face Ireland in their last match of WXV on 11 October at BC Place, tickets are on sale HERE, or fans in the USA can watch the game live and for free on RugbyPass TV.