Jason Kelce and Olympic Arm Wrestling Banter
During the 2024 Paris Olympics, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce visited the U.S. women’s rugby team after its July 28 win over Brazil and arm-wrestled player Nicole Heavirland. Kelce won the friendly contest, while teammates and his wife, Kylie, joked about the result.
A light-hearted locker-room visit
Video of the match circulated online after Heavirland shared it. She and the players ribbed Kelce about whether he had held the table with his free hand; Kylie also joked that she had warned the team. Those comments were playful, not evidence of a formal rule dispute. Sports Illustrated coverage.
Team USA rugby player Ilona Maher also recruited Kelce as an unofficial supporter during the visit. NBC Olympics described the exchange and identified Heavirland as a traveling reserve who then challenged him to arm-wrestle. NBC Olympics report.
The brief encounter became a viral side moment from Paris 2024, bringing attention to the U.S. women’s rugby team during the Games.
The exchange was a brief, informal moment during the team visit, not a competition with an official result. Heavirland’s teasing about Kelce’s free hand and Kylie’s joke helped make the clip circulate, while the visit itself connected the U.S. rugby players with a familiar football figure during the Olympics.
Sources
Tags: Wrestling
