World Rugby has announced that top women's sevens players will use a smaller ball, known as size 4.5, in an adaptation of equipment designed to accommodate anatomical differences between men and women.
The new ball, which is about 3% smaller than the traditional size five but weighs the same, will be used in the HSBC Sevens series, which kicks off this Saturday in Dubai. The move aims to give female players a better grip and control over the ball during games.
According to World Rugby's chair of Women's High Performance Committee Melodie Robinson, "We're committed to supporting women's rugby in forging its own path to suit our players, not just following the history of the men's game." The new ball was trialled in age-grade international tournaments and top clubs' training sessions before being adopted for professional competitions.
However, not all female players are supportive of the move. Some argue that using a different-sized ball may create an uneven playing field with the men's team, while others express concerns about the costs to grassroots clubs who would need to purchase new equipment.
Other adaptations made for women's rugby include boot and kit manufacturers designing their products specifically for female bodies, rather than scaling down from men's products. Additionally, the threshold for mandatory head injury checks is different between male and female athletes, with women being more susceptible to concussion due to their smaller hand size.
While the changes have not yet had a significant impact on game outcomes, kickers recorded a 61% conversion success rate at the recent Women's Rugby World Cup, up from 51% in previous tournaments.
The new ball, which is about 3% smaller than the traditional size five but weighs the same, will be used in the HSBC Sevens series, which kicks off this Saturday in Dubai. The move aims to give female players a better grip and control over the ball during games.
According to World Rugby's chair of Women's High Performance Committee Melodie Robinson, "We're committed to supporting women's rugby in forging its own path to suit our players, not just following the history of the men's game." The new ball was trialled in age-grade international tournaments and top clubs' training sessions before being adopted for professional competitions.
However, not all female players are supportive of the move. Some argue that using a different-sized ball may create an uneven playing field with the men's team, while others express concerns about the costs to grassroots clubs who would need to purchase new equipment.
Other adaptations made for women's rugby include boot and kit manufacturers designing their products specifically for female bodies, rather than scaling down from men's products. Additionally, the threshold for mandatory head injury checks is different between male and female athletes, with women being more susceptible to concussion due to their smaller hand size.
While the changes have not yet had a significant impact on game outcomes, kickers recorded a 61% conversion success rate at the recent Women's Rugby World Cup, up from 51% in previous tournaments.
. I mean, who wants to worry about dropping the ball or struggling with grip when they should be focusing on scoring tries? 
The fact that kickers were able to achieve such a high conversion success rate at the Women's Rugby World Cup is already proof that this change is making a difference 
. It's all about giving women more opportunities to shine in the sport and enjoying the game without any obstacles in their way 
. And let's be real, who cares if some players think it might create an uneven playing field? I say, let's focus on inclusivity and equality, not division 
!
The fact that kickers are seeing a higher conversion success rate is a great sign, even if the game outcome hasn't changed yet... 
. I mean, can you imagine trying to kick with those tiny hands? 
It makes sense that they'd need something easier to grip and control. And yeah, it's all about equality and making sure women's rugby has its own identity, not just following what men's done. But at the same time, some of these changes gotta be considered carefully, 'specially with the costs for grassroots clubs. I don't want them getting left behind 
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. That can be a real challenge for them, especially if they're already on a tight budget. Maybe World Rugby could offer some sort of support or compensation to help with the transition? Just a thought