Rugby · Formats
How long is a rugby match?
A rugby union or rugby league match lasts 80 minutes of playing time, in two halves of 40 minutes, and rugby sevens lasts 14 minutes, in two halves of 7. Time lost to injuries and stoppages is added on, and half-time comes on top, so a match takes longer than that from kick-off to the final whistle.
How long is each half in rugby?
| Game | Halves | Playing time |
|---|---|---|
| Rugby union (15s) | 2 × 40 minutes | 80 minutes |
| Rugby league | 2 × 40 minutes | 80 minutes |
| Rugby sevens | 2 × 7 minutes | 14 minutes |
| Under-19 rugby union (World Rugby variation) | 2 × 35 minutes | 70 minutes |
How long is half-time in rugby?
| Game | Half-time |
|---|---|
| Rugby union (15s) | Not more than 15 minutes |
| Rugby sevens | Not more than 2 minutes |
| Rugby league | Set by the laws, but each competition may extend or reduce it |
In union and sevens the teams change ends at half-time. For a league match, check the competition's own rules for the length of the break.
Why does a rugby match last longer than 80 minutes?
There are two reasons. First, 80 minutes is playing time: time lost to injuries and other stoppages is added on, so the clock does not simply run through. Second, in union a half does not end the moment time is up. If the ball is still in play, the referee lets play carry on until the ball next goes dead, and if a penalty or free kick is awarded after time is up, play continues from it.
That is why the final play of a close match can run for minutes past 80, and why a team that is ahead when time is up kicks the ball out of play to finish the match.
How long is a rugby sevens match?
A sevens match lasts 14 minutes: two halves of no more than 7 minutes each. Other timings shrink with it. A yellow card means 2 minutes in the sin bin rather than 10 minutes, and a knockout match that is level at full time goes to extra time: 5-minute periods, and the first team to score wins. The teams change ends after each period.
How long is an under-19 rugby match?
70 minutes, in two halves of up to 35 minutes, under World Rugby's Under 19 law variations. Younger age groups play shorter matches again, with times set by each national union's own age-grade rules, so check with your club or competition.
What happens if a rugby match is a draw?
In most pool and league-table matches, a level score at full time is a draw and the match ends there. Extra time is played when the competition needs a winner, such as a knockout match, and the NRL also plays it in the regular season. Each competition sets its own method:
| Competition | If the score is level at full time |
|---|---|
| Rugby union pool or league-table match | A draw |
| Rugby World Cup knockout match (2023 tournament rules) | 20 minutes of extra time, then up to 10 minutes of sudden death, then a kicking competition |
| Rugby sevens knockout match | Extra time: 5-minute periods, and the first team to score wins |
| NRL regular season (golden point) | Two 5-minute halves of extra time, and the first team to score wins. Still level after 10 minutes, it is a draw |
| NRL finals | Golden point extra time, played until a team scores |
The Rugby World Cup plays its 20 minutes of extra time as two 10-minute halves. The NRL has used golden point since 2003.
Worked example: a knockout match that goes to sudden death
| When | Team | Scoring play | Points | Score | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 min | Home | Penalty goal | +3 | 3–0 | |
| 30 min | Away | Penalty goal | +3 | 3–3 | Half-time: 3-3. |
| 52 min | Away | Try | +5 | 3–8 | |
| 53 min | Away | Conversion missed | +0 | 3–8 | |
| 71 min | Home | Try | +5 | 8–8 | |
| 72 min | Home | Conversion missed | +0 | 8–8 | Full time: 8-8. A pool match would end here as a draw; a knockout goes to 20 minutes of extra time. |
| 86 min | Home | Penalty goal | +3 | 11–8 | First half of extra time. |
| 97 min | Away | Penalty goal | +3 | 11–11 | Level again after 100 minutes, so sudden death begins. |
| 104 min | Away | Drop goal | +3 | 11–14 | First score in sudden death: Away win 14-11. |
Values checked against the World Rugby laws. If nobody had scored in the sudden-death period, a kicking competition would have decided the match.
At 8-8 after 80 minutes, a pool match would be over as a draw. In a knockout, 20 minutes of extra time end 11-11, so the match goes to sudden death, and Away's drop goal at 104 minutes wins it. In sudden death any score ends the match, so a 3-point penalty or drop goal wins it just as surely as a try.
How the app handles it
The rugby score tracker has no game clock, half timers or half-length setting, so each half lasts as long as you play it: tap Next half at half-time and End match at full time. It does not play extra time, sudden death, golden point or a kicking competition, and a level score when you end the match is recorded as a draw.
Questions
How long is a sin bin in rugby?
10 minutes of playing time in rugby union, 10 minutes in rugby league and 2 minutes in sevens. The team plays a player short while that player is in the sin bin.
Does rugby have quarters?
No. Rugby union, rugby league and rugby sevens are all played in two halves, with half-time in between.
How long is a women's rugby match?
The same as a men's match. World Rugby's laws do not change for women's rugby, so a women's union match lasts 80 minutes in two halves of 40 minutes, and a women's sevens match 14 minutes.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
More rugby guides
All rugby rules, guides and tools
Related
Keep score with one tap.
Sport Score Tracker keeps rugby score on iPhone and Apple Watch, so you can play instead of counting. Offline, no ads, no account.