World Rugby is considering the use of a smaller ball in the women's game. The global governing body is collecting training and playing data on the size 4.5 ball. which is about 3% smaller and 3-4% lighter than a typical size 5 ball. Lindsay Starling, science and medical manager at World Rugby, said "typically an adult male hand is 10% larger" than that of an adult female. "The women's playing community is quite divided," Starling said. "There's a big proportion of individuals in this community that think and feel that retaining the use of the same equipment in the men's game is important. "So World Rugby have committed to trialling what actually happens if women play with the smaller ball." World Rugby confirmed that playing data was gathered at the Women's Under-18s Six Nations, where sides played with a size 4.5 ball this month, while training data was gathered from three Celtic Challenge sides. The outputs on this data will be shared when available. Starling said the smaller ball would be in "better proportion to the female athletes' hands" and could result in "numerous positive benefits". The theory is that by being in better proportion to the player the ball would be easier to hold, there would be fewer knock-ons in contact and it would increase passing speed and accuracy. This could then create a faster game with fewer rucks and scrums, while kicking and lineout throws might also mean improvements in accuracy and distance.

Been involved in women's and girls rugby for years. They used to use sz4 at u15 and the sz5 above that, when they changed the age grade bands it went to sz4 at u14, sz5 above to match the male game and I have seen no evidence a 14/5 yo boy who uses a sz5 is more able to use it than an adult woman. 

I have seen a touch ball (sz 4.5) accidentally used for a warm up and loads of dropped balls, it is about familiarity not absolute size

Really confused by this post.