Handre Pollard

Springboks flyhalf Handre Pollard, who plays his rugby for French Top 14 side Montpellier, is the joint-highest paid player in the world. Photo by Hannah Peters/AFP

Springbok trio feature in world’s highest-paid XV list

Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard is reportedly the joint-highest earner in world rugby and features in a “World’s Highest Paid XV” list just released.

Handre Pollard

Springboks flyhalf Handre Pollard, who plays his rugby for French Top 14 side Montpellier, is the joint-highest paid player in the world. Photo by Hannah Peters/AFP

Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard is reportedly the joint-highest earner in world rugby and features in a “World’s Highest Paid XV” list just released.

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Pollard, who plays his rugby for French Top 14 side Montpellier, features alongside fellow Springboks Eben Etzebeth and Faf de Klerk.

According to the Ruck website, Pollard tops the list with an annual salary of around R20 million, a total only matched by that of All Blacks wing Charles Piutau who plays for the Bristol Bears in England.

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Etzebeth is the next best earner with an estimated R18m at French side Toulon, while England lock Maro Itoje and former All Blacks skipper Kieran Read complete the top five with figures around R16.5m and R16m at Saracens and Toyota Verblitz, respectively.

De Klerk is ranked 11th with an estimated R12m income earned at English side Sale Sharks.

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HIGHEST PAID XV:

15 – Beauden Barrett (R15.6m, Suntory Sungoliath)
14 – Charles Piutau (R20m, Bristol Bears)
13 – Virimi Vakatawa (R15.6m, Racing 92)
12 – Owen Farrell (R15m, Saracens)
11 – Stuart Hogg (R11m, Exeter Chiefs)
10 – Handre Pollard (R20m, Montpellier)
9 – Faf de Klerk (R12m, Sale Sharks)
8 – Kieran Read (R16m, Toyota Verblitz)
7 –  Steven Luatua (R13m, Bristol Bears)
6 – Michael Hooper (R15m, Toyota Verblitz)
5 – Maro Itoje (R16.5m, Saracens)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (R18m, Toulon)
3 – Tadhg Furlong (R9.6m, Leinster)
2 – Guilhem Guirado (R10m, Montpellier)
1 – Mako Vunipola (R9m, Saracens)

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