Tigers will be ‘full on’ test for Lightning, says Kelter

USA international Alev Kelter believes Loughborough Lightning will have to be at their best if they are to bounce back to winning ways against Leicester Tigers this weekend.

cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens is hosting only its second-ever Premiership Women’s Rugby East Midlands Derby on Saturday 23 November (kick-off: 2pm) – tickets are available priced from just £7.50* adult and £3* junior by clicking HERE.

While Lightning produced two impressive performances on the road since their last outing in Northampton – a brilliant bonus point victory over Sale Sharks – Nathan Smith’s side returned from trips to Harlequins and Exeter Chiefs with two defeats against their name.

The African Violets’ hopes of returning to winning ways are boosted by Kelter being available for selection after arriving in the country earlier this month.

“I am very excited,” said the 33-year-old. “It is an honour to be with Lightning. I think we have a really amazing team and we have been building so this weekend is going to be a full-on test for us and an exciting one.”

Opponents Tigers have lost all five of their PWR fixtures so far but have happy memories of playing at the Gardens, having won last season’s corresponding league encounter at the venue, as well as a PWR Up Series friendly fixture earlier on this season.

If selected, it will be Kelter’s first battle with Tigers as their first season in the PWR came after Kelter’s spell with Saracens back in 2022.

“We know Tigers do a lot of picking around the ruck, without going into too much detail, we know their threats,” explained Kelter. “They have some speedsters and can play make, so to be honest they have a triple threat, we have to be ready in every position. We are very excited to have a crack. 

Kelter has had plenty of time to bed into life at Loughborough, where she is kept in good company by fellow Americans Bulou Mataitoga, Hallie Taufoou and her fiancé, Kathryn Treder.

Many of Lightning’s young, homegrown squad have benefitted from having someone of Kelter’s international pedigree on the Sevens circuit and in 15s too, but the Olympic Bronze medallist feels it is very much a two-way street.

She said: “It’s funny because I feel like I am the one that is learning. The way that the players see the field, our BUCS players like Cam [Carmela Morrall], it is not just like I am giving to them, I feel like we are one team, one unit. There are things that we have, different X-factors, that we can give each other. That is a team, not everyone is at the exact same level, it is super important that we all build each other up. That’s what a team looks like. 

“The other day, Scaz [Emily Scarratt] was leading some of the setpiece moves. For me, asking what the principle is and why it was a certain move over this move, and her answers just unlocked another level of ‘yes, that makes 100 per cent sense’. 

“When you are in a USA camp or in a Sevens season, things move so fast that is hard to break it down, so having that ability to be able to chat about it on the go, in real time, is going to create some really amazing rugby this season.”