By the editorial staff
Published 25 minutes ago, Updated 15 minutes ago
Siya Kolisi (Racing 92), Antoine Dupont (Toulouse) et Finn Russell (Bath). Panoramic
The Welsh site Walesonline reveals a ranking of the ten highest paid players in the world of rugby. Three play in the Top 14 and three others earn more than a million euros per year.
Every year, the Welsh site Walesonline establishes a ranking of the highest paid rugby players in the rugby world. And this year, it’s Scottish fly-half Finn Russell, who left Racing 92 for English club Bath, who comes out on top with the golden bridge he received for a million pounds by season (€1,150,000). Then come two world champion Springboks who play in Japan: scrum half Faf de Klerk and winger Cheslin Kolbe, successfully passed by Toulouse and much less by Toulon.
Only three players playing in the French Top 14 are part of this ranking. First of all, the third row and captain of the Boks, Siya Kolisi, who joined Racing 92 this season. Then come the Welsh flyhalf of RC Toulon, Dan Biggar, and Antoine Dupont, the scrum half of Stade Toulousain voted best player in the world in 2021. Shaken by a serious financial scandal which led to their relegation to the second division, Saracens nevertheless managed to offer big contracts to two emblematic players of the XV de la Rose: the opener Owen Farrell and the second -Majo Itoje line.
Despite serious financial problems, the English Premiership can still afford world stars thanks to the “marquee player” system, a player whose contract does not enter into the calculation of the club’s payroll, which is much lower just in France. Thus, five of the ten highest paid players play across the Channel, such as Steven Luatua (Bristol), the former second or third row of the All Blacks who participated in the last World Cup with Samoa, or Handre Pollard (Leicester) , another Springbok world champion, who passed through Montpellier.
The top 10 highest paid rugby players:
Finn Russell (Bath, ECO) €1,150,000 Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath, AFS) €1,077,000 Faf de Klerk (Yokohama Canon Eagles, AFS) €1,035,000 Siya Kolisi (Racing 92, AFS) €978,000 €Owen Farrell (Saracens, ANG) : €920,000 Dan Biggar (Toulon, PDG) : €920,000 Maro Itoje (Saracens, ANG) : €920,000 €Antoine Dupont (Toulouse, ANG) : €805,000 €Steven Luatua (Bristol, SAM) : 713,0 € Handre Pollard (Leicester, AFS): €702,0
Access the slideshow (10)
