USA Eagles’ Alev Kelter returned to the XVs game in this year’s WXV 1 Round 1 after an incredible seven-over success at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Kelter’s involvement in the Eagles’ first game of the tournament saw him stand out against England despite the loss, marking his first Test XV cap since the 2021 Rugby World Cup.
She also earned her 25th Test cap for the XV in the WXV 1 match against France last weekend.
I talked about it at the center. rugby pass After the second round match against France at the Langley Events Centre.
“They are very different games, but I am very excited to play XV,” she explained. “Because it is a team sport, you need everyone: from one to 15 people, from one to 23 people, from one to 30 people.
“I’m really proud of the work ethic we’re applying. The strategy that Sione brings and challenges us, as does Mel (Bosman) and the forward pack. “It’s great to see our strikers doing their job and giving our backs the space to attack wide.”
The huge impact of the U.S. women’s sevens bronze medal win was widely known, and the resulting surge of interest in the sport is something Kelter is excited about.
She said: “It became so popular in America. All universities and teams are buzzing right now. They said there used to be 10 to 15 players trying to join the team, but now there are 30 to 50. I’m really excited.
“I returned home to Alaska. Alaska youth rugby has grown by 20-30% for youth players and they want that in their schools. We will give it to them. We’re excited to spread the game and spread the love.”
Along with its Olympic bronze medal, the U.S. Women’s 7-Person Team has received a game-changing $4 million investment over the next four years from visionary businesswoman Michelle Kang.
Kelter explained the investment’s impact on the team: “She is truly amazing. She talks a lot about pink and zooms out. It’s not just about women’s sports equipment, it’s that you can’t just put pink on it and shrink it.
“She is investing in the best football teams around the world, from preventing ACL injuries to providing the right player welfare on the right pitches. She decided to come back, and we actually asked her to come back and watch the bronze medal match, and she drove back and watched it.”
The 33-year-old, who has represented his country at three Olympics and two Rugby World Cups, added: “She made a very inspired decision in the last play where Spiff came up the middle and scored the final try and converted the kick. We decided to donate $1 million annually for the next four years.
“It will be a huge deal for our program, but we need the many women who came before us to set that platform. There are a lot of women investing in women and that’s what we want to see. Women support women and empower each other. “I couldn’t ask for anything more and I’m so grateful,” he said.
Sevens teammate Ilona Maher’s platform soared during the Olympics and she has since become the most followed rugby player of all time on social media. He currently has 4 million followers on Instagram alone and an additional 2.6 million followers on TikTok.
Maher, now a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, has become a figurehead in the sport, and her platform has raised awareness of rugby, and particularly the women’s game, in the United States and beyond.
“We love her. We are very grateful for the attention she has given not only to our team but also to the sport. I was just talking to some Irish girls and they are grateful to her too. It’s all around us, not just on our team,” Kelter explained.
“She is the most followed rugby player in the world, which is amazing. She is also an amazing human being. “We are grateful to be blessed by her presence, but we also know it is doing something only she can do and we are grateful to be able to follow in her footsteps in growing the game.”
Kelter’s return from Season 7 ahead of a big year for the From these competitions, she realizes the value of developing the team and women’s rugby as a whole.
“I don’t think we would have had the opportunity to play a top four team outside of the PAC 4 if we hadn’t played WXV. I am truly grateful and blessed. We can see that glass ceiling being broken by giving them the opportunity to play against a top four team. When we have a glimmer of hope and faith in ourselves, it can change the program.
“We believe in ourselves with the Sevens team and have seen how it can transform our ability to grow the game in the country. We are branding a new type of rugby, particularly through our Sevens program and Highwomen. We talk about it and bring the same culture and the same drive to the XV.
“We want to see the expertise grow. And it starts at WXV. It’s a dream to be a part of that and see those girls earn a place here and have the opportunity to play and try their hand at a World Cup team.”
With next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in mind, Kelter is set to return to England to play in Premiership Women’s Rugby League for the 2024/25 season after completing WXV.
Kelter has a history of competition, including winning a title with Saracens in 2022, and will join Loughborough Lightning this autumn to play alongside fiancee Kathryn Treder, who proposed in Paris after the Olympic Games.
“I played with Sarries a couple of years ago and it was an incredible experience and everything I was very proud to have been a part of. I learned what professionalism is all about and at the highest level PWR brings out a huge competitive spirit and the nature of the game, it’s great to be a part of that.
“Competitiveness has helped us get this far, but we are preparing for the World Cup in England. We know it will be incredible, but it’s great to be able to gain that experience and benefit. My dream is to have fun every weekend. Doing that and making it my full-time job is something I can be proud to tell my kids one day.”
The United States will face Ireland in the WXV’s final game on October 11 at BC Place. Tickets are on sale here or US fans can watch the game live for free on RugbyPass TV.
