Red Roses fly half Zoe Harrison has strongly criticised the trial of a smaller ball in women's rugby, labelling it the "worst decision someone has ever made". The 28-year-old, regarded as one of the finest kickers globally, expressed her dismay over World Rugby's plan to introduce a size 4.5 ball in the WXV Global Series later this year.
Harrison's concerns
Harrison, who played a pivotal role in England's World Cup victory last year, told the BBC: "It's the worst decision that someone has ever made. I've not kicked any less than a size five since I was the age of 14." She emphasised the reduced surface area of the smaller ball, saying: "There is not the same amount of surface area for you to wrap your foot around."
World Rugby's trial
As reported by The Independent, World Rugby is expanding the use of the size 4.5 ball, which is approximately three per cent smaller than the standard size 5 but maintains the same weight. The bespoke design, produced by Gilbert, has already been used in sevens this season. The move aims to address concerns about the ball's impact on the kicking game, drawing parallels with other sports like cricket and basketball that use smaller balls for women. On average, a man's hand is about 10 per cent larger than a woman's.
Harrison's form
Harrison has been in outstanding form, successfully converting all 15 of her goal attempts in this year's Women's Six Nations. She is set to start again for England against Italy in Parma on Saturday. England, coached by John Mitchell, will host Australia, Canada, and New Zealand in the WXV Global Series in September, followed by a tour of North America in October, featuring two more matches against the team they defeated in the World Cup final. Rugby Canada has confirmed that those games will be held at BMO Field in Toronto and TD Place in Ottawa.
