Providing thrill and enjoyment to the people, Rugby has an increased fan base in the last few years. The top nations have dominated this sports as South Africa has won the World cup three times. Different leagues and international competitions have increased the charm and thrill Rugby. The clubs and national teams offer contracts to the players that brings a huge money to them. Here we have a list of the highest paid Rugby players who got contracts of massive salary and will also earn from the endorsements in 2022.
Content Summary
Rugby Highest Paid Players In 2022
There are 4 major leagues that features the Rugby competitions. Most of the players are signed with French Top 14 and English Premiership Rugby. The reason is that the clubs of both countries provide expensive contracts and salaries. The Rugby players have the following earnings sources.
- Contract Salary
- Sponsorships
- Endorsements
- Bonuses
- Extra Fees
All these sources bring a massive increase in the total earnings of the players. All the numbers provided below are officially confirmed from the contracts details revealed by international media and undisclosed sponsorship and endorsements deals. Here are the top earning Rugby players in 2022.
Handre Pollard
- Nationality | South Africa
- Position | Fly-half
- National Team | Springbok
- Club | Montpellier
- Endorsements | Nike, Land Rover
- Annual Income | $1.53 Million
The South African Rugby team is the most successful team of the modern Rugby and the current world cup champions as well. The main reason behind is the players who played magnificently. One of them is Handre Pollard who got great achievements in the recent years and thus earned massive contract with his national team Springbook and French club Montpellier. His endorsements deals with Nike and Land Rover earned him $391k. His collective earnings through the contracts, endorsements and bonuses reached $1.53 Million mark that makes him the highest paid Rugby player in 2022.
Charles Piutau
- Nationality | New Zealand
- Position | Fullback
- National Team | Barbarian F.C.
- Club | Bristol Bears
- Endorsements | TM Lewin, Heineken
- Annual Income | $1.40 Million
Charles Piutau, professional Rugby player from New Zealand is at the 2nd spot in the list after having a worthy contract with Bristol Bears. He is performing amazingly in the English Premiership Rugby and created a great fan base throughout the world. He is also having a contract with the national team Barbarian F.C. These contracts are making him earn guaranteed $1.40 Million. Moreover, he is also having endorsement deals with TM Lewin and Heineken that will surely make a solid increment in the total payout of the Kiwi Rugby player.
Eben Etzebeth
- Nationality | South Africa
- Position | Lock/Flanker
- National Team | Springbok
- Club | Toulon
- Endorsements | Undisclosed
- Annual Income | $1.3 Million
Another South African player is in the list and at the third position as he is having a worthy contract with his national team Springbok. Moreover, he is also having an expensive contract deal with Toulon for playing in the top tier competition of Rugby in France, The French Top 14. These contract deals bank a solid $1.3 million into his account. Moreover, the endorsements and sponsorship deals are also a source of earning for him.
Top 10 Highest Paid Rugby Players In 2022
| Players | Position | National Team | Club | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handre Pollard | Flyhalf | South Africa | Montpellier | $1.53 Million |
| Charles Piutau | Fullback | New Zealand | Bristol Bears | $1.40 Million |
| Eben Etzebeth | Lock/Flanker | South Africa | Toulon | $1.31 Million |
| Finn Russell | Flyhalf/Centre | Scotland | Racing 92 | $1.20 Million |
| Cheslin Kolbe | Wing/Fullback | South Africa | Toulon | $1.17 Million |
| Maro Itoje | Lock/Blindside Flanker | England | Saracens | $1.11 Million |
| Virimi Vakatawa | Wing/Centre | France | Racing 92 | $1.07 Million |
| Beauden Barrett | Fullback | New Zealand | Suntory Sungoliath | $1 Million |
| Michael Hooper | Flanker | Australia | Toyota Verblitz | $980k |
| Owen Farrell | Flyhalf | England | Saracens | $980k |
These are the details of the highest paid players of Rugby in 2022. These players receive much low payouts as compared to the football and cricket players. The main reason is that there are not enough endorsement deals and sponsorships for these players. However, in the recent years, people have started taking interest in this sport and there are chances that Rugby will be able to compete with the top sports like football, tennis and cricket in the next few years. Rugby World Cup 2023 will be helpful in this regard.
If there is any further details available, we will make them available here. Stay tuned for more information!