 Alev Kelter during Match between: Ireland women's national rugby sevens team ‒ United States women's national rugby sevens team 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Leyla Alev Kelter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | March 21, 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Tampa, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Leyla Alev Kelter (born March 21, 1991) is an American rugby sevens and rugby union player.
She won a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games as a member of the United States women's national rugby sevens team. [1] [2] She also made the squad to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.
Kelter was named in the Eagles squad to the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup in Ireland. [3]
In January 2022 the English rugby side Saracens Women announced that she had signed for the rest of the 2021–22 Premier15s season. [4] She was named in the Eagles squad for the 2022 Pacific Four Series in New Zealand. [5] [6] She was selected in the Eagles squad for the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. [7] [8] [9]
Kelter has also played for the Northern Loonies in Premier Rugby Sevens, and was part of the 2021 Inaugural Championship team and the 2023 Women's Championship. [10] She won the Finals MVP in 2023. [11]
Kelter played for the United States women's national under-20 soccer team and the United States women's national under-18 ice hockey team and later played both sports at the University of Wisconsin from 2009 to 2013. [12]
Born to Mark Perusse and Leyla Kelter, she has two brothers, Erol and Aydin and a twin sister, Derya Kelter, who also played soccer and ice hockey. Before she was nine, her family had moved four times because her father was a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. [13] Kelter attended Chugiak High School in Chugiak, Alaska. She graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from University of Wisconsin in 2015. [14] [15] Kelter is a part of the LGBTQ community and has spoken out against banning transgender women from playing women's rugby. [16]
Chugiak High School is a public high school located in Chugiak, Anchorage, Alaska, and a part of the Anchorage School District. Chugiak's mascot is the Mustang and the school colors are blue, black, and white. In 2005, Chugiak's student population was split as half their students went to the new Eagle River High School. As of 2020, it has a student enrollment of 905 and 47 teachers.
The USA Women's National Team XVs represents the United States in women's international rugby union. The team was officially formed in 1987 and is nicknamed the Eagles.
Karen Paquin is a Canadian rugby union player. Known for her power and speed, she is skilled at both the sevens and 15s version of the game.
Lauren Doyle is an American rugby sevens player. She won a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games as a member of the United States women's national rugby sevens team and represented the United States in Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Kelly Griffin is an American rugby sevens player and Olympian. As a member of the United States women's national rugby sevens team, she won a bronze medal at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens, and a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games. She was also captain of the United States Women's Rugby Sevens team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Kathryn Johnson is an American rugby sevens player. She won a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games as a member of the United States women's national rugby sevens team. She was selected as a member of the United States women's national rugby sevens team to the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Kristen Thomas is an American rugby sevens player. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Katherine Zackary is an American rugby sevens player. She debuted for the United States in 2016 and for the sevens team in 2014. She won a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games as a member of the United States women's national rugby sevens team.
Naya Elena Tapper is an American rugby sevens player. She debuted for the United States rugby union team in 2016. She was selected for the squad to the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup in Ireland.
Nicole Heavirland is an American rugby union player. She made her debut for the United States in 2017. She was named in the Eagles 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup squad.
Cheta Emba is an American rugby union player.
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Kristine Sommer is a former American rugby union and sevens player. She represented the United States at the 2017 and 2021 Rugby World Cup's.
Hope Rogers is an American rugby union player who plays for Exeter Chiefs in the Allianz Premier 15s. She has competed for the Eagles in three consecutive Rugby World Cup's, at the 2014, 2017 and the delayed 2021 tournament.
Abby Gustaitis is an American rugby union player. She debuted for the United States against France 2016. She was selected for the squad to the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup in Ireland.
The rosters of all participating teams at the women's tournament of the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Manaia Nuku is a New Zealand rugby sevens player.
Charlotte “Lotte” Clapp is an English-born rugby union player who plays internationally for the United States, she previously represented England. She plays for Saracens in the Premier 15s.
Carly Waters is an American rugby union player. She is a Scrumhalf for the United States and for Sale Sharks in the Premier 15s.
Premier Rugby Sevens (PR7s) is the top annual North American men's and women's rugby sevens competition. The competition follows a touring model and involves 16 teams competing against each other across the country. The league was founded in 2021 and is officially sanctioned by USA Rugby as the highest level of rugby sevens in the United States.
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