Here's the data I have on this subject, for both RU and RL:
Patterns of play of international rugby union teams before and after the introduction of professional status. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport
1 December 2003, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 103-111(9)
Analysis of ball in play time comparing pre and post 1995 revealed a significant main effect for period (F = 12.97, df =1, 14, p =. 003) with ball in play 26.5% of the time in the period pre-1995 compared to 32.1% of the time in the period post-1995.
Stats of the Union — Part II - Ball hogging - Sione Ake Mokofisi - March 25th, 2004
rugby.officiating.com/x/article/3693
IRB stats collected from 2003 international test matches show a record average time of 33.44 minutes where the ball was in play during an 80-minute game. That is 42% of game time. One test match, in particular, broke the 50%-mark for the first time ever. During one of the halves in that match the ball was in play for a record time of 21 minutes, 49 seconds.
Here’s the 12-year comparison since World Cup 1991:
Ball in-play average per Game:
2003 - 33.44 minutes – 41.8%
2002 - 32.20 minutes – 40.2%
2000 - 32.29 mintes – 40.4%
WC99 - 30.35 minutes – 37.9%
WC95 - 26.43 minutes – 33.0%
WC91 - 24.48 minutes – 30.6%
www.rugby.com.au/verve/_resource ... m_file.pdf
In each of the 2002 Super 12 games involving Qld Reds there were 18.2 stoppages for
scrums on average. However the average number of scrums packed was 29 (difference
is due to number of repacks called). A straight forward scrum packed without dela y and
in a correct manner should be over in 15 to 30 seconds. If we adopt an average of 25
scrums per game at 20 seconds per scrum, about 8.3 minutes of an 80 minute game of
Rugby Union is devoted to scrums.
www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A46172874? ... gby_league
Monday, 19 January 2009
In addition, research by leading sports statistics company Opta shows that, in Super League, the ball stays in play for an average of 50 to 55 minutes during an 80-minute match, compared to 30 to 35 minutes in rugby union. In football, the ball is in play for approximately 50 minutes during a 90-minute match.
Powergen sponsored research
Energy supplier Powergen has joined forces with a renowned expert in the field of sports science, Professor Mike Gleeson of Loughborough University, to answer an age old sporting question – which sport uses the most energy?
By measuring the heart rates of football, Rugby Union and Rugby League players, referees and supporters over the course of a season, Powergen has finally answered that question: the most energy sapping sport around is Rugby League.
With its combination of powerful bursts of attacking play and the strenuous nature of defence, Rugby League offers a physical challenge above and beyond other British sports:
* A typical Rugby League player uses up to 6,800 Kilojoules of energy per game – roughly 10% more than a football or Rugby Union player
* Rugby League players need stamina to cover the estimated 5-10 km a typical player runs in a game
* They must be strong to endure the continual pounding of up to 40 tackles per match
The Powergen Player Energy Report found that although the ball is only in play for around 50 minutes during an 80 minute Rugby League game, the intensity of the activity within each passage of play makes for a gruelling physical challenge for even the fittest of players.
And although 50 minutes seems like a short period of time, it should be remembered that players in the rival Rugby Union code only exert themselves for an average of 30 minutes – giving Rugby League players 20 minutes extra to tackle, scrummage, run and pass.
Powergen, which is part of E.ON UK, has also looked into the experience of a typical supporter during a game and found that with its numerous tries and the excitement of video referees, Rugby League also offers the most nerve wracking experience for fans.
