Alev Kelter

Leyla Alev Kelter, more commonly known as Alev Kelter, is a centre who currently plays for the United States women’s rugby team. She joined the national team in 2016 and has also played for the United States Sevens side.

Born on 21 March 1991 in Tampa, Florida, Alev Kelter spent her childhood playing ice hockey and soccer along with her twin sister, Derya. In fact, she competed in both sports: she was selected for the United States U18s ice hockey team and the women’s U20s soccer team. Additionally, she played ice hockey and soccer while at the University of Wisconsin.

She graduated from university in 2013 and her rugby career began one year later when she joined the United States Sevens team. In 2015, Kelter competed at the Pan American Games, where she won a silver medal. This was followed by the 2016 Olympics, where she finished as the team’s top scorer.

After her success with the sevens team, Kelter was named in the United States squad for the 2017 Rugby World Cup. The United States did well and finished the competition in fourth place after losing 23-31 to France in the third-place play-offs.

Her club career took off in 2021, when it was announced that Kelter had been signed by Saracens Womens for the 2021-22 season. When speaking about their new player, Saracens said they were excited to welcome her experience to the team and that her talent would ‘provide another dimension to the back-line.’

Next, in 2022, Alev Kelter represented the United States at the Pacific Four Series and at the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup, where she scored two penalties in the USA’s quarter-final match against Canada.

From her performances with the United States 15s to her success with the sevens side, Alev Kelter is undoubtedly a star of the game. We’re looking forward to seeing what she can achieve next.