England fly-half Zoe Harrison has delivered a scathing verdict on World Rugby's decision to introduce smaller balls for this autumn's WXV Global Series, calling it "the worst decision someone has ever made." The size 4.5 balls—roughly 3% smaller but keeping the same weight as a standard size five—will debut in the tournament running from September to October.
For Harrison, the change strikes at the heart of her craft. "I've not kicked any less than a size five since I was the age of 14," she told BBC Sport, revealing she only learned about the trial when questioned by reporters. "There is not the same amount of surface area for you to wrap your foot around." The 24-year-old, who has racked up 30 points from 15 conversions in this year's Women's Six Nations, clearly feels the adjustment undermines years of muscle memory and technique.
World Rugby's rationale stems from biomechanics: men's hands are about 10-15% larger than women's, and other sports have long made similar accommodations—think lower sprint hurdles in track or lighter basketballs on the court. The governing body argues the smaller ball could boost accuracy, cut down handling errors, and reward running play in the women's game. A trial on the top-tier Sevens circuit in November paved the way, and last month's announcement extended it to 15-a-side rugby for the WXV.
But critics aren't buying it. Some worry the change could tarnish the image of women's rugby and pile extra costs on grassroots clubs already stretched thin. World Rugby has already tweaked its approach after an earlier version of the size 4.5—used in the 2024 Under-18 Six Nations—was lighter than a size five, sparking kickers' complaints. The current iteration adds back the weight to address those concerns.
"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 Mark Harrington, World Rugby's chief player welfare and rugby services officer. "From there, together with the wider women's game, we'll determine next steps."
For now, the Red Roses have bigger fish to fry. They'll face Canada—whom they beat in last year's Rugby World Cup final—three times during the WXV, alongside home Tests against Australia and New Zealand in an eight-week international window. Whether the ball controversy simmers down or boils over, one thing's clear: Harrison and her teammates won't go quietly into this new era.