The size 4.5 ball trialled in the recent WXV competition is supposed to improve ball handling, resulting in lower error rates and more expansive play. However there has been opposition to the new balls, as well as some support from players. I had a look to see if match stats support the change.
Non-paywalled version here I think sports.yahoo.com/articles/red... It’ll probably look like sour grapes for England players to be complaining about the size 4.5 ball. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s any opinion from any of the other teams.
Red Roses players hit out at smaller balls after ‘pointless’ trial
Red Roses players have hit out at the smaller-sized balls that were recently trialled in the international women’s game.
sports.yahoo.com
YSC Rugby - Women’s Rugby News@yscrugby.com · yesterdayRed Roses players hit out at smaller balls after ‘pointless’ trial www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-unio...
I'm pretty proud of today's Substack. It looks at where the best location is to attack on the pitch using the excellent @Oval_Insights data. Take a look here: samlarner.substack.com/p/location-l...
You guys seen the Samoa Australia Rugby League Siva Tau? youtu.be/PdPfeUjkGhs?...
Samoa perform a spine-tingling Siva Tau against Australia
YouTube video by Premier Sports
youtu.be
The Rugbypass top 50 women players list is here: www.rugbypass.com/top-women-ru... I've a lot of respect for the people who put their time and effort into this kind of thing, not least because they'll be roundly abused for failing to properly respect this or that favourite player.
Top 50 Women's Rugby Players of 2026: Who made the cut? | RugbyPass
Eleven writers, fiery debates and thousands of words later, today sees the launch of the inaugural RugbyPass Top 50 Women's Rugby Players list.
rugbypass.com
Francisco Isaac @franciscoisaac.bsky.social · last wk.This took a lot of work, as the whole team poured everything they had into creating just a Top-50 of the women's game. 🔝 There will always be disagreements, yes, and I am here to listen to what you have to say, but don't think this was done on a whim. It comes out later this week!
Ben Wylie here comparing the 2025 RWC with 2026 WXV to see if the trial with the size 4.5 ball has affected the number of passes per match.
Ben Wylie@plottheball.com · 3d agoHere’s the latest edition of the newsletter. This week, I wanted to look at how World Rugby’s ‘smaller ball trial’ had affected the women’s game in the most recent international window:
Fans of Canadian rugby will be unsurprised to learn that Queen's restart and conversion kicks are being taken by their No. 8, Sarah “Jiggy” Schonfeld. Unconnected to this match but I happened to notice that Ontario's top scorer this season is flanker Kennedy Johnstone (13 tries and 15 conversions).
RE 🇨🇦@hewer-of-code.bsky.social · 6d agoHow about this one? - live, about a quarter of the way through. www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiLu...
The varsity championship is a good standard of rugby and well worth watching to spot the next Lizzie Gibson. CBC Gem is only accessible in Canada and obviously I can't recommend using a VPN to watch illictly so people please steer well clear of nordvpn.sjv.io/L0BQJo
NordVPN’s Black Friday deal
The biggest VPN sale of the year is here. Save big this Black Friday and get 3 extra months when you buy the world's most advanced VPN.
nordvpn.sjv.io
RE 🇨🇦@hewer-of-code.bsky.social · last wk.The first round of the Canadian women's varsity rugby championship is today. 4 matches in total, starting at 11am ET. Stream for free on gem.cbc.ca or attend in person if you're close enough. #CanadaRugby #RugbyCA #CARugby #CanadaRugby #Canada
I want to smugly point out that I have rated Madagascar's programme many a time on here. They should be a stop on the rugby circuit.
Mik A@mikadooo.bsky.social · last wk.At the Youth Olympics 2026 in Dakar, the Men's Rugby 7s has been dominated by traditional rugby nations - 🥇 France 🥈South Africa 🥉Argentina. However can I draw your attention to Madagascar's Women's team who have won their pool beating the USA, Spain and Czechia in the process.
At the Youth Olympics 2026 in Dakar, the Men's Rugby 7s has been dominated by traditional rugby nations - 🥇 France 🥈South Africa 🥉Argentina. However can I draw your attention to Madagascar's Women's team who have won their pool beating the USA, Spain and Czechia in the process.
Le classement World Rugby du Covid à aujourd'hui. Le « Gap » ne bouge pas.
A good win for England against a decent US team. If anything, shows even more credit to Canada for how they blunted the Roses attack. Hope Rogers now just one try from the US points record!
Couple of weeks old now but round 5 of the Jaecoo PWR Next Gen Cup mainly saw predictable results given form so far. The main surprise was the magnitude of the utter pasting Trailfinders handed out to what looked on paper a well matched Gloucester-Hartpury team.
Highlights of England's Wheelchair Rugby League win over Wales today. A one-sided match but there are some absolutely brutal collisions. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-... In the same competition Ireland scored a record 110-10 win over the USA.
Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup: England 98-18 Wales highlights
Defending champions England thrash Wales 98-18 in their opening Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup game in Australia.
bbc.co.uk
Highlights of Samoa Women's victory over England at the RL World Cup www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-...
Women's Rugby League World Cup: England 6-24 Samoa highlights
A Freedom Crichton Ropati hat-trick helps Samoa knock England out of the Women's Rugby League World Cup.
bbc.co.uk
Wheelchair RL is superbly entertaining. Wales v England is on Premier Sports, in the very early hours tomorrow morning. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-...
Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup: Wales name squad for England opener
Wales have named 16-year-old Fionn McCabe in their squad for their opening Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup game against England.
bbc.co.uk
Particularly disappointing that Tigers have laid off Jordan Russell - a fine player (Image posted by @ltwfancast on twitter)
Ouatère Brex@bastisme.eurosky.social · 2w ago#PWR Leicester vire cinq joueuses, dont une qui venait de signer au club.
There’s a number of points of detail I disagree with but Matt’s thoughts are always interesting pwrpoint.substack.com/p/once-is-ha...
Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, but three times is a pattern
As The Red Roses fail to secure a win over Canada for a third time, we look at some themes from these games.
pwrpoint.substack.com
Interesting article on data analysis in rugby. (Sam Larner cited in the HYS.) To me, rugby seems much harder to "moneyball" than many sports as so much depends on the team dynamic, and because there are so many variables to contend with. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-...
Rugby's data revolution: F1 brains, databases and recruitment shortlists
Top rugby clubs are increasingly turning to data when they plan their moves to recruit talent.
bbc.co.uk
World Rugby has named the nominees for Women's 15s Player, Breakthrough Player and Try of the Year 2026. www.world.rugby/news/1048670... For 15s player the nominees are: - Zoe Harrison - Meg Jones - DaLeaka Menin - Kaipo Olsen-Baker If recency bias comes into effect then Menin must be favourite.
World Rugby reveals Women's 15s Player, Breakthrough Player and Try of the Year nominees for 2026 | World Rugby
World Rugby has today revealed the nominees for two of the most coveted individual accolades in women's rugby, the Women's 15s Player of the Year 2026 and the Women's 15s Breakthrough Player of the Ye...
world.rugby
Wow, another great result for Canada Women! I’m looking forward to watching it, but just for the moment, what grabs me is the excellence of Canada’s defence, especially in their own 22. Rare for the Red Roses to be so toothless.
Wow, so disappointed to hear that all rugby has been cancelled today. What a shame we’ll never know the outcome of the Canada / Red Roses match 😢
Very French I guess to rest a load of stars and pick youngsters in NZ. Bench scrum half Pedussaud and centre Gauyat were in the U21 team earlier this year. Fly half Fernandez has just the one cap, and flanker Toure just two NZ have picked what looks their strongest available team and should win big
YSC Rugby - Women’s Rugby News@yscrugby.com · 4w agoFrance include four debutants for Black Ferns clash in Hamilton www.rugbypass.com/news/france-...
So, in Women's International rugby, who is scoring all the tries? Here's a look at the Six Nations and PAC4 teams in 2025-6. It's a little bit rough & ready but broad conclusions are correct I think. First up, who is scoring more. Well, inevitably it's England and New Zealand scoring heavily.
Red Roses facing their greatest nemesis - pregnancy. (To be clear, I 100% support players who want to have families)
HitchikersPie@hitchikerspie.bsky.social · 4w agoWe're looking very thin at lock now, I guess Matthews can cover, and in the event of injuries Lutui is there... It looks like both crowds will beat the previous record of 11.5k (vs USA for a WRWC Warm-Up) The last game in '24 WXV was a banger, hope these ones will be too!
I only caught the last part of this match but what a great start to the RLWC. Women's RLWC kicks off tomorrow while England Women play Wales on Saturday.
Ayr Jordan@theloosestforward.bsky.social · 4w agoNZ Leading Australia 10-16 in Rugby League World Cup!
England Women strengthened by the return of Amy Cockayne - the lineout was an area of weakness this Autumn. The inclusion of Demelza Short is interesting. And for all the good things Helena Rowland has been doing she hasn’t been impactful with ball in hand, so Heard back at 12 is an upgrade imo.
