England Players Share Mixed Reactions to Smaller Rugby Ball Trial

England's women's rugby team is set to compete against Australia, Canada, and New Zealand in the upcoming WXV Global Series, where they will use a smaller size 4.5 ball, which is about 3% smaller than the standard size five used in men's rugby.

The introduction of the smaller ball has sparked mixed reactions among players. England hooker May Campbell noted that the ball can behave unpredictably, while kicker Helena Rowland mentioned that it has created a larger margin for error in her kicking. Some players have observed that passes tend to fall short, which was not an issue with the larger ball.

Despite the challenges, Wales wing Lisa Neumann expressed a positive view, stating that the smaller ball has improved her passing grip. The trial aims to better suit women's physiology, similar to adjustments made in other sports. However, Rowland emphasized that she has not experienced significant benefits from the change. World Rugby plans to gather feedback from all participants in the series to assess the impact of the new ball.