The first half is divided into 40-minute halves.
All rugby matches will last 80 minutes, despite stoppages and confirmation by the Television Match Official (TMO).
During rugby matches, the clock is stopped during intervals including TMO checks, injuries and substitutions. This ensures that the game lasts 80 minutes and no game time is lost.
How long does a rugby match take?
This also means that there is no injury time in rugby as any time lost due to a stoppage is compensated by a stopped clock.
However, the referees do not blow the whistle immediately even after 80 minutes. The clock runs out of full time, but play does not stop until the ball is touched. This gives the team on the front foot an opportunity to identify attacking opportunities.
Read more: rugby fixtures
How long is halftime in a rugby match?
The first half of rugby lasts 40 minutes, divided into halftimes. The halftime break should not exceed 15 minutes and the teams will then proceed to the changing rooms. Coaches and players usually talk to discuss tactics on how the game should be played.
The game was won thanks to a halftime tactical discussion. A good example is Harlequins’ win over Bristol Bears in the 2020-21 Premiership semi-final.
Going into halftime, Bristol led 28-5, but Quins came back to dominate in the second half. The London club eventually won 43-36 to secure a place in the final.
Quins sporting director Billy Millard said: BBC 5 Live: “There was a bit of faith at half-time that if we got the momentum the pressure would change, but you couldn’t predict what the result would be.”
The club won the Premier League that season, beating Exeter Chiefs in the final at Twickenham.
