Top Ten Earners in Rugby Union
The Association of Accounting Technicians have published a list of who they believe to be the current top 10 best paid players in rugby union, with Dan Carter reportedly set to earn more than double at Racing 92 what Leigh Halfpenny takes home at Toulon.
While useful as a comparative guide, the report does not divulge whether the figures are from an official source, whether they include international earnings and off-field income as well as club salary or to which specific time period they refer to.
Carter’s value is based mainly on his reported future earnings at Paris club Racing, whereas Jonathan Sexton and Jamie Roberts’ values seem to sit between two clubs.
The full top 10 is listed below and gives an indication of the rising salaries of players in rugby union but a quick comparison shows that it would take even Carter as long as 24 years to earn what Cristiano Ronaldo earns in a single year (a reported £33.8m).
Nine of the top 10 are, or were until recently, based in France’s Top 14, which may be representative of the differing approach that the media and clubs have in covering player salaries there. The only exception being rugby league convert Sam Burgess. The England international and former NRL star is thought to be earning £500,000 with Bath in the Aviva Premiership.
| Player | Club | Annual Earnings |
| Dan Carter | Racing 92/Crusaders | £1,400,000 |
| Matt Giteau | Toulon | £900,000 |
| Leigh Halfpenny | Toulon | £600,000 |
| Sam Burgess | Bath | £500,000 |
| Jonathan Sexton | Leinster/Racing 92 | £494,000 |
| Bryan Habana | Toulon | £474,000 |
| Morgan Parra | Clermont | £436,000 |
| Thierry Dusautoir | Toulouse | £408,120 |
| Bakkies Botha | Toulon | £389,000 |
| Jamie Roberts | Harlequins/Racing 92 | £380,000 |
