| Date of birth | 9 May 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 72 kg (11 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kelly Arbey (born 9 May 2005) is a French rugby union and rugby sevens player. She plays as a wing and full-back for Stade Toulousain and the France national team.
Kelly Arbey is originally from the Tarn region in southern France. [2] She started playing rugby at the age of four, inspired by her older brother. [3] She first played for RC Revélois, then moved to Puylaurens AC and Castres Olympique. [4] By the age of seven, she had joined the rugby school at Castres Olympique. [5]
She trained at the Pôle Espoirs at the Lycée de la Borde Basse in Castres, which offered a special schedule to balance studies and training. [6] She later continued her development at the Pôle Espoir de Jolimont. In addition to rugby, she has also practiced football, judo, tennis, and climbing. [7]
In 2022, Arbey signed with Stade Toulousain. [8]
Arbey represented France in the U18 Six Nations Festival in both 2022 and 2023, winning the Grand Slam in both editions. In 2023, she also became European Champion with France U18 in rugby sevens. [9] [10] [5]
In 2024, at just 18 years old, Arbey earned her first call-up to the French senior XV team for the Women's Six Nations Championship. [11] She made her international debut as a starting winger in the opening match against Ireland. [12] [13] [10]
Arbey was named in France's 32-player squad for the 2025 Women's Six Nations. [14] She started on the right wing in the match against Scotland on 29 March 2025, won 38–15 by France. [15] [13] She then played against Wales, won 42–12 by France. [13] [16] [17]
On 2 August, she was named in the French side to the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup. [18] [19]
Arbey joined the France Sevens squad for the 2024–2025 season. [12] [20] She competed in the 2024-2025 World Rugby SVNS Series, earning bronze medals at the Dubai, Cape Town, and Perth tournaments. [21]