England's Red Roses Get to Grips With World Rugby's Smaller Ball Ahead of WXV

World Rugby's new size 4.5 ball — roughly 3% smaller than the regulation size five but the same weight — is now in England's camp and will be used across the WXV Global Series in September and October (BBC Sport).

The ball was trialled with female players on the top-tier Sevens circuit in November, and the governing body has since green-lit it for the Global Series — the international women's competition that brings together the world's top rugby union nations (BBC Sport).

Not everyone is sold. England fly-half Zoe Harrison, who pulls the strings at number ten, called the switch "the worst decision someone has ever made" back in May (BBC Sport). A smaller ball sits differently in the hand and leaves the boot on a different arc — subtle shifts that matter enormously to a kicker.

Head coach John Mitchell has taken a pragmatic line. He sent each of his attacking players and kickers home for the summer break with a size 4.5 in their kit bag, betting that coaching and repetition will close the gap (BBC Sport).

Mitchell was candid about what he does not yet know. He said it is too early to judge whether the smaller ball will improve England's offloading (the act of passing out of the tackle before hitting the ground) or sharpen their passing game. He also flagged a risk: the ball could produce more contestable kicks — high, hanging punts that both sides can challenge in the air. England want to avoid that as a feature of their game, seeing it as a point of difference from the men's code (BBC Sport).

The New Zealander was equally clear that the change might suit other teams better. His own conclusions, he said, will likely be drawn after England's first three home Tests in the WXV series (BBC Sport).

England's Red Roses have the pedigree to absorb a disruption. They completed their Rugby World Cup preparations last August with a 6–40 victory over France in Mont-de-Marsan and were later celebrated with a London Eye display to mark the tournament (England Rugby, England Rugby).

Their next home fixture is already circled: Australia at Corpacq Stadium in Salford on Saturday 12 September, a 3pm kick-off that will serve as one of the first real tests of how the new ball plays under competitive pressure (England Rugby).

For the players, the task is straightforward even if the adjustment is not: get comfortable with a slightly smaller object doing the same job, fast enough to be sharp when the whistle goes in September.