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Highest paid positions in the Top14, Pro14 and Premiership revealed

Top wages by position across Europe

Using data collected over the past number of seasons by sports agency Esportif Intelligence, an interesting picture begins to develop on the key positions in Europes three major leagues.

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Last month we brought you a comparison guide between the Aviva Premiership and the Pro14.

Now Esportif Intelligence have updated their figures to include the Top14, giving us a better idea about the different values each league puts on specific positions.

When looking at the information below it’s important to note that there is a double up in each league for both wingers and locks.

This is an attempt to represent both the highest paid lock and winger at each club as well as the second highest paid (A and B), giving a representation of the full 15 on the pitch.

One of the most interesting findings from the survey is that fly-half isn’t the highest paid position in the Pro14, whereas it is in both other leagues.

Charles Piutau’s salary might be a large reason why we see fullback usurping the fly-half at the number one slot in the Pro14.

By comparison, fullback is only the 11th most valuable position in the Top14 and 8th in the Premiership, so quite a considerable jump.

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No.8’s in the Top14 sit in second, possibly also due to wage demands of players like Louis Picamoles and Victor Vito.

From a previous study conducted by Esportif Intelligence, we know that between the Premiership and the Pro14 the average wage is 15% higher in the Premiership.

The average is £200,000 per annum in the Premiership, equating to roughly a £30,000 a year difference between the two leagues.

That’s a lot but that figure is estimated to rise again throughout the course of this season by 5%.

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However, the gulf in wages, like most sectors of society, isn’t felt across the board

The top tier of players in both leagues receive equally large salaries, meaning the differential lies with tier 2 and tier 3 players.

Tier 2 and tier 3 players in the Pro 14 earn considerably less than their Aviva Premiership counterparts.

“The PRO12 try to pay quality players at its top end more. It’s the second and third choice players at those teams who on a whole are not paid as much compared to those in the Aviva,” said Hannah Bowe, head of Esportifs advisory services.

“To me, it is representative of the strategy traditionally employed by the PRO12 teams and unions to be competitive, which has facilitated their national teams’ competitiveness, by looking after their most influential players where possible, whilst being more constrained on total budget.

“That is now being somewhat eroded by the external revenue streams in the Premiership, which has enabled clubs to attract and keep marquee players who may have headed for France.”

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J
JW 29 minutes ago
Razor's 2024 All Blacks Christmas wish list

Razor isn't a grinch to ask for two wins against SA, and if he was to ask for two, those would be meaningless if the record is still lost. After SA come to Eden Park the game he'll most ask to be gift wrapped is Eden Park's Bledisloe Cup.


He's also already got Mo'unga I'd say, what he'd be asking of Robinson (or whoever takes over) is that the rules are bent to all his inclusion without first representing Canterbury. Razor will need a lot of good will spirit heading his own way if he selects Mo'unga to start in July against France.

When a Dupont-less, understrength B-team French outfit heads over to Aotearoa in July for a highly anticipated series down under, nothing less than a 3-0 sweep will suffice for the All Blacks. 

You aren't very good at sneaking a look at what's in the Xmas hamper around you Henry? If Toulouse somehow fluff one of their knockout games they will be able to tour (only players in the Final are excluded) and it will basically be Dupont's Toulouse versus all of New Zealand in July. They will be VERY hard to beat.


The old Christmas excitement gets the best of everybody. Personally I think Razor would be saving up backline wish for some creativity and spark till next Xmas. Mostly he'll wanting to stay in the good books and for fans to pay attention next year.

It seems like the idea of Ardie Savea moving to openside flanker is no longer on the table, and World Breakthrough 15’s Player of the Year Wallace Sititi seems to have locked down the number six jersey.

Ardie was selected as an openside flanker against France, two games ago. Dalton Papali'i is the incumbent though and while the jersey number is largely irrelevant, he might still want somebody to stand out in the 6 jersey next year.


It would be my own wish that Ardie is asked to be selected at 7 again, and play like a 7, though. I really hope that no one stands out in the 6 jersey for Razor though, so he's forced to think creatviely and move Scott Barrett there lol

8 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
What is the future of rugby in 2025?

Sorry been a bit disjointed reading the article as one has difficulty at this time, but one thing I want to say other than the topic is that this style of rugby isn't the sole domain of the All Blacks, I mean it never was. Australia were often even more enterprising and it's no surprise that their heavy involvement hasn't also helped the Premiership appreciate other ways of playing, and indeed much of these plays were like watching Australia play England all over again.


That said, Lam no doubt harbors many found memories from the early Auckland Blues domination days. That side found such a confidence that allowed them to play well above their individual parts that I'm sure he felt better being a part of.


On the topic, romance for me is the French game were they love immobile forwards and electric backs that keep the two games, of forwards and backs, completely seperate, and the enthusiasms British (and maybe to a lesser extent Irish, they had a different fire for me) had for the power mini games. In a look to the future you definitely want that to be cherished as the All Black rugby talked about here wouldn't have had the appeal without that counterpoint. More immediately I can see the game homogenizing, but more long term some notes I had were that the different domestic rules for the game shouldn't vary too far from the International rules, but each area has their own needs to change the game and WR need to balance those all out when it comes to show piece tournaments, so we don't see what happened in 23 with all the criticism of the referring for example. The game needs to unite but it also needs to fight various different battles that will try to rip it apart.

27 Go to comments
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LONG READ What is the future of rugby in 2025? What is the future of rugby in 2025?
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