If there’s one sport where you earn every single penny, it’s rugby. A real man’s sport that tests the will and strength both physically and mentally of a player, those who play it have to be a little bit insane to punish their bodies the way they do. While it’s for the love of the game, it helps when you fall on this list—which are the 15 richest rugby players in the world.
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15. Jamie Roberts – $54,600/month
A member of the Wales squad that won the 2012 Six Nations Championship, Jamie Roberts has been honored with a number of individual awards and had helped lead his club teams to great success with league titles. Signing a deal with Racing Metro in 2013, Roberts is earning $54,600/month.
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14. Bakkies Botha – $55,900/month
One of the most decorated and highest-paid rugby players over the course of his career, Bakkies Botha won the 2007 Rugby World Cup and two Tri Nations titles in 2004 and ’09. With so many accomplishments both individually and collectively with his teams, Botha gets paid a good amount to continue to lead his teams.
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13. Carl Hayman – $55,900/month
An absolute beast of an athlete, Carl Hayman is a New Zealand rugby player who plays through it all. Rumored to be sought out by every major club in Europe back in 2007, Hayman chose to join Newcastle Falcons at the time, and is currently being paid $55,900/month by French club Toulon.
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12. Dimitri Szarzewski – $55,900/month
At first glance, many might not think that Dimitri Szarzewski has the resolve to be a rugby player. But there’s more than meets the eye with the French player, as he has enjoyed a long and successful career since 2002. For all that he has done with his club and international squads, Dimitri earns a monthly salary of $55,900, the second-highest on his Racing Metro club team.
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11. Thierry Dusautoir – $58,700/month
Currently playing for French powerhouse Toulouse, Thierry Dusautoir started focusing on rugby at the age of 16 and hasn’t looked back since. Making his international debut in 2006, he is his club team’s highest-paid player by earning $58,700/month, and is known for his speed and strength to wiggle out of tackles.
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10. Morgan Parra – $62,800/month
Playing for Clermont Auvergne in the French Top 14, Morgan Parra has been one of the top rugby players since breaking onto the international scene with his native France at age 19 in 2008. Since then, Parra has become a leader for any squad he suits up for, and earns a monthly salary of $62,800, the highest on Clermont’s roster.
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9. Bryan Habana – $68,200/month
Earning $68,200/month, Toulon’s Bryan Habana has shown he has the skills to be a playmaker and change the outcome of any match he plays in. Hailing from South Africa, Habana won the World Cup in 2007 and was named as the IRB Player of the Year the same season for his club season.
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8. Jarryd Hayne – $70,913/month
Once turning down the richest deal in NRL history to pursue a career in the NFL, Jarryd Hayne might not be getting paid to play rugby any longer—still hoping for a spot on the football field—but while a pro player, he was earning an insane $70,000-plus for his club team Parramatta Eels, making him one rich man.
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7. Sam Burgess – $70,913/month
After agreeing to release him from his deal last February, Sam Burgess moved on to Bath, where he inked a $70,913/month contract that makes him one of the highest-paid player to ever play the game. A versatile option for his club team, Burgess continues to show that he’s worth the high pay.
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6. Jonathan Sexton – $71,000/month
Playing for Racing Metro and Ireland on the national circuit, Jonathan Sexton earns $71,000/month to play a variety of back-line positions and help guide his teams to titles. One of the biggest influencers of the sport in Ireland, Sexton’s salary and prominence supports the big-time money that he earns each month and year.
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5. Jonny Wilkinson – $76,400/month
With a monthly salary of $76,400, Johnny Wilkinson was one of the highest-earning rugby players on the planet before he called it quits a few years ago. Representing a handful of teams and countries in various tournaments, Wilkinson won a World Cup with England in 2007 and the Six Nations Championship in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2011, proving he was one of the best ever.
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4. Leigh Halfpenny – 85,120/month
His last name might seem to suggest otherwise, but Leigh Halfpenny is no slouch when it comes to a monthly salary. Earning $85,120/month, he left Cardiff Blues in January, 2014 to sign a record deal with French club Toulon, which is happy to have his deadly accurate boot to rack up points for them.
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3. Matt Giteau – $99,306/month
Playing inside center, fly-half and halfback, Matt Giteau has shown to be one of the best rugby players in the world. Making his debut all the way back in 2001, he was nominated for the International Rugby Board Player of the Year Award in 2004 and has seen great success since. For that reason, Giteau earns a monthly salary of $99,306.
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2. Greg Inglis – $113,461/month
Captaining the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Aussie’s NRL, Greg Inglis is a dynamic leader who has done a lot in his time on the rugby field. With a salary of $113,461/month, Inglis brings a wealth of experience and team and individual accolades that are nearly unmatched by anyone else in the world, with many looking at him as one of the best ever.
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1. Dan Carter – $141,867/month
The legendary flyhalf from New Zealand, Dan Carter is the highest-paid rugby player on the planet, set to earn over $1 million per season as he moves to the French league after retiring from the All Blacks. One of the best players in the world, Carter looks to solidify the contract with a strong season.
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