England's Red Roses rugby team has begun incorporating a new, smaller ball into their training sessions as they gear up for the WXV Global Series. The ball, a size 4.5, is approximately 3% smaller than the standard regulation size five but retains the same weight. This adjustment has been met with some criticism within the sport.
Fly-half Zoe Harrison expressed strong disapproval in May, calling the decision "the worst decision someone has ever made." Despite the controversy, head coach John Mitchell noted that players were given the balls to take home for the holidays and believes that effective coaching is paramount to adapting to the new equipment.
"If you want to get better at something, regardless of the size of the ball, it's all about coaching. So I think our girls have been well-coached," Mitchell stated. He added that it is too early to definitively say how the new ball will impact the team's offloading game or passing accuracy.
Mitchell also raised concerns that the smaller ball might lead to an increase in contestable kicking, a style of play that the team aims to differentiate from the men's game. World Rugby conducted a trial of the smaller balls with female players on the top-tier Sevens circuit in November. While Mitchell acknowledged that the trial "certainly might help other teams," he indicated that more conclusive observations would likely be made after the team's initial three Tests in the WXV series.