The Top 10 highest-paid rugby players in the world
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Cash money.
Professional rugby continues to grow financially, with the game’s biggest stars earning eye-watering salaries across France, England, South Africa and, increasingly, Japan.
While rugby still lags behind sports such as football and the NFL when it comes to player wages, the very best talent can now command seven-figure contracts, particularly if they combine club deals with international agreements and commercial partnerships.
Japan’s Rugby League One continues to attract some of the sport’s biggest names with lucrative contracts, while the Top 14 remains home to several of the world’s highest earners. South Africa is also well represented, with a number of Springbok stars featuring prominently on the list.
Here are the 10 highest-paid rugby players in the world based on reported annual salaries.
1. Antoine Dupont (Toulouse) – £1.2 million
2. Finn Russell (Bath) – £1 million
3. Romain Ntamack (Toulouse) – £1 million
4. Damian de Allende (Saitama Wild Knights) – £800,000
5. Maro Itoje (Saracens) – £800,000
6. Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – £800,000
7. Eben Etzebeth (Sharks) – £775,000
8. Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – £750,000
9. Jesse Kriel (Yokohama Canon Eagles) – £700,000
10. Handré Pollard (Bulls) – £650,000
The list highlights Japan’s growing financial influence, with four of the 10 highest earners currently playing in Rugby League One. France also continues to reward its biggest stars handsomely, with Toulouse duo Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack both reportedly earning seven-figure salaries.
Several Irish stars are also reported to be in the £600,00 to £650,000 range,
South Africa’s World Cup-winning generation also features heavily, with Pollard, Kriel, du Toit, Etzebeth, Marx and De Allende all among rugby’s highest earners, reflecting the global demand for Springbok talent.
As always with salary reports, the figures are estimates based on widely reported contracts and do not necessarily include image rights, sponsorship deals, appearance bonuses or other commercial earnings, meaning some players’ total annual income could be considerably higher.
