Locks are pulling in the big cheques in the Top 14 according to a report revealing the highest-paid positions in France’s premier rugby league.
The French Top 14 clubs are home to some of the highest-paid rugby players in the game right now and surprisingly it is the second rowers who take up the biggest chunk of the salary cap according to respected publication Midi Olympique.
More specifically the tighthead locks, the bigger men in the engine room.
Highest-paid players in the Top 14
Earlier this year, Premiership Rugby revealed the highest-paid positions in the League with the release of the annual Salary Cap report revealing that fly-halves are the highest earners.
The market across the Channel in France is vastly different, however, as the number tens only ranks joint third on the list along with centres.
In their report revealing the highest-paid positions in the Top 14, Midi Olympique specifies that the big men in the second row – the likes of Will Skelton, Paul Willemse, Emmanuel Meafou and Adam Coleman – are among the best players in the league. Huge locks have become a real trend in the French top division and the ‘rare species’ of technically strong and physically imposing athletes have made the position a marquee in the market.
Ranked: The highest-paid Premiership positions including shock lowest earners
Their engine room partners, loosehead locks, are the fifth highest paid players in the Top 14 according to the report with number eights coming in a close second.
A source told the publication that a tighthead lock who is a recognised world-class player can demand a salary of €500,000 (around £414, 800) a season with a top non-international able to earn around €300,000 (around £248, 800).
The average salary of the 520 players in the Top 14 is about €259, 000 (around 214, 800) a season or €21, 000 monthly depending on their position and club – this is five times more than in the PRO D2 or 33% higher than that of the Premiership or Japan.
Much like the Premiership players, the hookers, loosehead props and wingers are among the lowest-paid players in the league averaging around €200,000 per season.
The highest-paid players are understood to earn in the region of €600,000 per year with that list unsurprisingly including the likes of Antoine Dupont, Owen Farrell, Grégory Alldritt, Will Skelton and Mathieu Jalibert.
Highest-paid positions in the Top 14
€275 000 tighthead locks
€265 000 number eights
€255 000 fly-halves
€255 000 centres
€250 000 loosehead locks
€235 000 tighthead props
€225 000 scrum-halves
€225 000 wingers
€215 000 flankers
€200 000 wingers
€200 000 loosehead props
€200 000 hookers
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/ranked-highest-paid-positions-in-the-top-14-as-rare-species-earn-top-euro
