Red Roses fly half Zoe Harrison slams trial of smaller ball in women’s game: ‘Worst decision ever’

Zoe Harrison is one of the best kickers in the world (PA)

Red Roses fly half Zoe Harrison has slammed the trial of a smaller ball for women’s rugby as the “worst decision someone has ever made”.

As revealed by The Independent, World Rugby will expand the use of a size 4.5 ball by introducing the bespoke design into the WXV Global Series later this year, having previously utilised it in sevens this season.

The Gilbert ball is about three per cent smaller than a regulation size 5, though carries the same weight in a bid to address concerns over its impact on the kicking game. Many other sports, including cricket and basketball, use smaller balls as standard for the women’s game. A man’s hand is on average about 10 per cent larger than a woman’s.

Harrison, England’s starting fly half as they secured World Cup triumph last year, is regarded as one of the best kickers in the world, and believes the trial is entirely unnecessary.

“It's the worst decision that someone has ever made," Harrison told the BBC. “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.”

The 28-year-old has slotted all 15 of her attempts at goal in this year’s Women’s Six Nations, and starts again for England against Italy in Parma on Saturday.