Wallabies captain Michael Hooper is the sole Australian named on a British rugby website’s rich list topped by a Springboks player and former All Black.
The ruck.co.uk website released their figures which they said were based on “reports from Forbes, reputable news outlets and a variety of official sources to get us as close to the mark as possible”.
Tellingly, however, the figures claimed failed to include bonuses or sponsorship deals which could add significant income for players and clearly change the pecking order.
The list features three Springboks, two All Blacks, two Englishmen, one Wallaby, one Frenchman and one Scotsman. Eight of them play in Europe and two, including Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper, play in Japan.
Hooper’s decision to skip this year’s Super Rugby with the Waratahs and take a sabbatical in the Top League with Toyota Verblitz has seemingly proved a lucrative one. He also said it fresehened him up ahead of a tough and successful Test campaign where Australia beat France 2-1 and have won five Tests straight since losing three against the All Blacks.
Topping the list are Springboks current flyhalf Handre Pollard, who joined Montpellier following the 2019 World Cup, and ex-All Blacks utility back Charles Piutau, who became rugby’s first million-pound player when he joined the Bristol Bears in 2017.
Here is the list.
Equal 9. Owen Farrell (England/Saracens) – $1.38 million.estimated earnings per year (figures were in GBP and converted here to $AUD).
Equal 9. Michael Hooper (Australia/Toyota Verblitz) – $1.38m.
Equal 7. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand/ Suntory Sungoliath) – $1.44m
Equal 7. Virimi Vakatawa (France/Racing 92) – $1.44m
6. Maro Itoje (England/Saracens) – $1.47m
Equal 4. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa/Toulon) – $1.56m
Equal 4. Finn Russell (Scotland/Racing 92) – $1.56m
3. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa/Toulon) – $1.66m
Equal 1. Charles Piutau (New Zealand/Bristol Bears) – $1.84m
Equal 1. Handre Pollard (South Africa/Montpellier) – $1.84m
Brendon
Guest
Rugby players were switching codes to rugby league 30 years ago before rugby became officially professional. Now league players are switching to rugby for more money. Who can blame them?
Beefa
Guest
Nonsense he is making plenty of coin from the Wallabies. He is a mercenary. First the NRL now Rugby. You walk away from the Wallaby jersey when you have the 11 jersey locked in you are nothing to me. He will go down as a mercenary with no loyalty to the Gold jersey.
Lee Byron
Roar Rookie
Marika has given plenty for Australia, the fact he is paid top $$ is a testament to his performance and ability - don't try to knock a guy who came from humble beginnings and wants to set himself and his family up for life.
Rusty
Roar Guru
I think the URC way is the only way - we have to participate in the more lucrative leagues, get more revenue to then increase the player wages and subsequently retain more of them.
Cooper206
Guest
Hes not that just dribble
scrum
Roar Rookie
Really so you are blaming him for accepting double his income. I would think his commitment to his family more important. Professional sports people have a very short time span.
Beefa
Guest
Marika puts money over Country. No respect for him anymore. Goodbye mercenary, dont ever come back. :angry:
Ethel McAAVaaarK
Guest
Hooper would never make a world 15 yet he siphons money from RA year after year. Bizzarre
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
“ It only took 25 years for players and administrators to empty the tin” No room at the trough for another snout? In Australia, where we were perched atop the rugby world twenty years ago, we took our once in a lifetime mass popularity and did what every failed empire has in history - indulged the top end, starved the genuine constituents who give for love alone, as Poido quipped, and watched passively as the game played victim to other codes and interest groups.
max power
Guest
are these numbers official? or are they from journalists who are fed information by player managers?
Lara
Guest
I am surprised BB made the list. Playing for the ABs isn’t the most lucrative, they usually make their money at the end of their careers…..that short Japan contract certainly helped. Charles Piutau must be rolling in it…..he been over there for as long as I can remember.
Tony Hodges
Roar Rookie
Could include sponsorship top ups, which are excluded from this list
Muglair
Roar Rookie
There is no doubt this is a similar problem in Australia, almost to a tee. It will be interesting to hear some Kiwi perspective. It took a hundred years for volunteer players, officials and supporters to build the value of rugby to the point where it was irresistible to media and marketing conglomerates. It only took 25 years for players and administrators to empty the tin. Clearly going professional only really changed behaviour on the field. Administration of the game has to be transformed so that it becomes self funding. Clearly administrations globally are intending to do nothing except put their hand out for private equity funding. No problem there, I am sure the PE whiz kids have already worked out how to get back twice as much as they put in.
Harry Jones
Expert
I would think 12-13 of the top 30 players are NZers.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
I'm equally sure you're wrong
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
That makes a huge difference. If NZ opened the flood gates for players to play OS like SA I’m sure this list would be 10 kiwis.
Harry Jones
Expert
The URC thing is flawed, of course, but it still offers one pathway, which is that for every Vermuelen who goes to Ulster, there may be 2-3 who "come back" if the salary ranges start to both rise and flatten, if that makes sense. SA has to be part of a platform which gets new revenue (broadcast, merch, tickets) in non-Rand.
biltong
Guest
Unfortunately yes. The turnover of players is far too high, a recent study showed retention of players in domestic teams are around 17% over a five year period.
Harry Jones
Expert
Yes, the only model that works is the centralised one with top ups. At the moment, young Saffas are just playing auditions for contracts up North.
biltong
Guest
One way of increasing player revenue is to reduce agent percentages or even get rid of agents. The South African rugby players association could easily manage player contracts, they already recieve membership fees, they could charge a flat 3% of player contract value as compared to the rates agents charge.