How much does a rugby player earn?

Sports earnings are always one of the most discussed topics, and rugby is no exception. Although not so long ago there was a certain lack of financial transparency in this regard, recently the situation has changed, and now we have access to some interesting figures that are worth sharing and discussing.

Today, we’ve collaborated with Sophia Novakivska of DashTickets to provide you with everything you need to know about rugby players’ salaries — from the global average to the top-tier players. 

How much does an average rugby player earn per year?

According to the 2020/21 Premiership Rugby salary cap report, most senior players earn around £113,000 to £175,000. That said, this range exists because of the salary disparity based on the player’s position. For example, the average salary of a fly-half is £175,679. Centre and lock earn £167,779 and £158,617 respectively, while scrum-halves and hookers only get £117,912 and £113,115 per year.  

Interestingly enough, experience is a huge factor when it comes to salary — players with over 100 appearances earn around £205,000, while players with more than 50 international caps receive even more — £325,306 is the average here. 

What we can conclude from these figures is that the best way to consistently earn more than the average player is to keep appearing in matches as a fly-half, preferably including some international performances in the mix. 

How much do academy players earn?

From next year, Premiership rugby academy players will be guaranteed a minimum two-year salary depending on their age. Players under 19 will receive £18,200 annually, while athletes under 20 will be paid £20,200. As you can see, these figures are substantially lower than those of the senior players, although we have to note that these are baseline salaries that might theoretically be negotiated and increased depending on the circumstances. These numbers are the same for New Zealand rugby players as well as for the United States.

What is the salary ceiling?

At the same time, the highest-paid rugby players are way above these numbers, earning substantially more every year. For instance, according to GQ Australia, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui earns around $1,200,000 per year, while Kalyn Ponga gets around $1,400,000. It is worth noting that these players can also benefit from potential sponsorship deals with sports brands and other endorsements, so the actual figures of their yearly earnings can get even higher. If you add potential bonuses for match wins, image rights, or World Cup performances, the numbers may differ significantly. 

However, these are some of the best and most valuable players in the world, so if you would like to earn just as much, you would have to show some incredible performance and consistency. That means we would consider these outliers and not common figures you should commonly expect to see as a professional rugby player playing in Premiership Rugby.