Every rugby match lasts 80 minutes despite stoppages and checks with the television match official (TMO).

In rugby the clock stops during an interval including TMO checks, injuries and substitutions. This ensures the game is 80 minutes and none of the game time is lost.

How long is a rugby match?

This also means there is no injury time in rugby as all the lost time for the stoppages are made up for with the stopped clock.

However, referees do not immediately blow the whistle at 80 minutes. The clock ticks over full-time but the game stops when the ball goes into touch. This gives a team on the front foot a chance to see out their attacking chance.

Read more: Rugby Fixtures

How long is half-time in a rugby match?

Each half in rugby is 40 minutes which is split by half-time. The half-time break has to last no longer than 15 minutes and teams go into the changing rooms. Coaches and players usually speak to discuss tactics on how to see the game out.

Matches have been won thanks to those half-time tactic discussions. One of the most famous in recent history was Harlequins’ win over Bristol Bears in the 2020-21 Premiership semi-final.

Heading into half-time, Bristol were 28-5 up but the second half Quins came thundering back. The London club ended up winning the match 43-36 to book their spot in the final.

“It feels a little bit surreal, but it feels pretty amazing,” Quins’ general manager Billy Millard told BBC 5 Live.

“At half-time, there was a bit of belief that if we could get some momentum, the pressure would turn, but you just couldn’t predict how it would turn out.”

The club went onto win the Premiership that season, beating the Exeter Chiefs in the final at Twickenham.

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