Revealed: This Is How Much Each Lions Player Will Pocket Next Summer
- Thomas Ramos hits out at rugby chiefs over major new rule change - September 14, 2026
- Damian Willemse makes blunt Springboks admission after All Blacks series win - September 14, 2026
- All Blacks hit out at multiple referee decisions following series defeat to Springboks - September 13, 2026
British & Irish Lions bosses have revealed the 2017 tourists will be the highest paid in history.
Depending on test results each player could end up pocketing close to £100,000 per man. John Feehan, the chief executive who took on the role in 2005, said this week the wage bill for next summer’s tour will rise for the fourth tour running while indicating the players will receive a ‘chunky number’ if selected for the tour.
Every player picked to go to New Zealand will receive a fee close to £70,000 per man if they go on to complete the tour, with Test match win bonuses potentially netting them more than £20,000 each.
Another huge cost will be the insurance policy taken out for the trip, which is set to cost more than £1 million in payments for players’ medical treatment and to clubs who will be missing those players for the duration of the tour.
With Warren Gatland expected to take 38 players on next summer’s six-week trip, the wage bill for players alone will exceed £3.5million, the highest in Lions tour history. [Daily Mail]


