A recent report has presented a proposed trial in Women’s rugby, which may see the traditional size five rugby ball replaced with a smaller size four ball.
An article by Telegraph Sport state that the plans could reportedly be introduced in a ‘women’s regional competition in Asia within months’. The pilot idea would also have no impact on ongoing or upcoming international fixtures, who will continue to use a size five ball.
The Telegraph article continued to state how World Rugby discussed the trial idea, at last week’s Women’s Elite Shape of the Game conference, which took place in Los Angeles. The backing behind the idea is that a smaller match ball in women’s rugby would “enhance player and fan experience”.
This is the latest prospected idea for sex-specific rule changes in rugby, which follows the previously discussed idea surrounding kicking from the tee. Former England Women’s Head Coach Simon Middleton previously spoke about how conversions being taken from closer to the posts, could benefit the women’s game.
However, these two new rule changes seem to cancel each-other out. As for all the improved handling and attacking flow that comes with reducing a rugby ball to a size four, kicking accuracy would be reduced. This could overall result in conversions becoming harder in women’s rugby than in the men’s game.
Former Harlequins and England prop Shaunagh Brown discussed the proposed idea with Telegraph Sport. “I’d say a 4.5 ball is more of a middle ground that could be reached.”
“I would have offloaded a few more times during my career with a smaller ball. I would have taken more risks to pop the ball up or to use one hand when running with the ball.
“You see the men do that all the time, they float the ball over their heads threatening to pass it. I feel I would have been more free as a player to use my creative side and offload the ball more.”
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