Smaller balls for women's rugby 'worst decision ever'

England fly-half Zoe Harrison says the introduction of smaller balls for this autumn's WXV Global Series is "the worst decision someone has ever made".

Size 4.5 balls - about 3% smaller, but the same weight as a regulation size five - will be used for the tournament in September and October.

World Rugby held a trial for female players on the top-tier Sevens circuit in November and announced last month the smaller balls would also be used by the world's best 15-a-side players in the upcoming WXV.

England will face Canada, who they beat in last year's Rugby World Cup final, three times as part of the new showcase for women's Test rugby.

The Red Roses also have home fixtures against Australia and New Zealand during an eight-week international window.

"It's the worst decision that someone has ever made," Harrison told BBC Sport, explaining she only learned about the trial when asked about it by journalists.

"I've not kicked any less than a size five since I was the age of 14.

"There is not the same amount of surface area for you to wrap your foot around."

Men's hands are about 10-15% bigger than women's hands. Other sports have made accommodations for female body types, such as lower sprint hurdles in athletics or lighter and smaller basketballs.

The aim of the smaller rugby ball is to make the women's equipment proportionate to the men's game, promoting accuracy, fewer handling errors and a greater reward for running the ball.

But critics have said it may damage the image of the women's game and increase costs for grassroots clubs.

World Rugby has tweaked its trial - a previous incarnation of the size 4.5 used in the 2024 Under-18 Six Nations was lighter than a size five, before weight was added back in to allay kickers' concerns.

The governing body says it has had positive responses from players who have tried the current version.

"Along with the sevens players, we'll carefully take stock of player feedback, injury surveillance and shape of the game data from the WXV Global Series," said World Rugby's chief player welfare and rugby services officer Mark Harrington.

"From there, together with the wider women's game, we'll assess the findings and look at where we go next."

Harrison is currently on a hot streak off the tee in the Women's Six Nations.

She has landed all 15 kicks she has taken at goal so far in the tournament, nailing conversions from across the width of the pitch.

Data experts Opta produce an xGK figure, similar to the xG value attached to shots at goal in football, which assesses the likelihood of a particular kicker splitting the uprights from different distances and angles.

Judging against her previous performances, Harrison has exceeded their xGK expectations from her 15 kicks so far in the tournament by 6.3 points.

When compared against an 'average' kicker in the tournament, Harrison - already established as a distinctly above-average kicker - performs even better: she is 8.2 points better than the model predicts.

Harrison is giving her superb form less thought.

"I mean it's good that it's happened, but... I don't know, it's my job," she told BBC Sport.

The 28-year-old is as straightforward in her approach to kicking, as she is to questions about it.

Her pre-kick routine is quick, simple and without any of the quirks and twitches that characterise some others.

"I put the ball down, line it up, take a couple of steps back and just kick the ball," she added.

"That might seem really unserious, but that is just the way it has worked until now.

"If I think about it more, it doesn't work in my favour. You just get in your own head - you think you have to do this or that and really you just have to kick the ball."

But behind the scenes and in her backstory, Harrison has worked hard to make it look, and sound, so easy.

A keen Chelsea fan, she played football alongside her rugby until a move to Hartpury College and its dedicated rugby programme at 16 focused her exclusively on all matters oval.

"I think the reason I can kick a ball so far is having a ball around your feet growing up gives you an ability to kick and an understanding of how to kick balls," she said.

"They are very different sports and if I put a football around my feet now, my rugby kicking can go off a little bit, but I think that football past is the reason I have an ability to kick as I do."

There are more modern factors too.

Andy Holloway, a specialist kicking coach, is part of the Red Roses' camp and has also worked with Harrison on her technique back at club side Saracens.

Harrison pays tribute to the competition in England's squad, with Helena Rowland, Emma Sing and Holly Aitchison all pushing up kicking standards.

And amid the hundred of kicks Harrison has taken in training and in matches, one from February particularly stands out.

Saracens were drawing 33-33 with Bristol Bears in the PWR when the referee awarded Harrison's side a 79th-minute penalty.

"I was on the floor when I called for the tee to come on," remembers Harrison.

"I looked up and I was like 'oh, it is a bit further than I thought it was'."

But Harrison, sticking to her stripped-down process, nailed the 40-metre match-winner.

"I had never kicked one from that far before," she says.

"Hopefully it doesn't end up going on the last kick of the game from that far out again, but knowing that I do have that [ability] is helpful."

Starting at fly-half against Italy on Saturday, she will doubtless have the opportunity to extend her streak, even if England are unlikely to need more last-gasp, long-range heroics.