World rugby has been “open” since 1995 (athletics since 1992, football since 1885, tennis in 1973) following the historic declaration by Vernon Pugh, then president of the IRB, the forerunner of World Rugby. But it took until 1998 and the creation of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, driven by the determination of the then sports minister Marie-Georges Buffet, for players to become genuine employees of professional clubs in France.
Salaries quickly rose sharply, from an average of 5,000 euros a month in 2000 to more than 15,000 euros by around 2015.
Differences in pay by position have always existed, and it is the fly-half role that has seen the biggest increase : in absolute terms (+83k€/year), confirming its status as the “keystone” of the game. Worth noting: every position has seen a remarkable rise in salaries.
The specific case of the “loosehead prop” (No.1) deserves particular attention. With a 40% increase (the record), the position is suffering from a shortage of high-level profiles, particularly among JIFF players, which sends the bidding soaring.
Covid put a firm brake on salaries (-10%) in 2020/21, but the resumption of activity and the reopening of stadiums brought back growth in club budgets and in the salary pot.
| Position | 2016 in K € | Change (%) | 2025 in K € |
| 1 (Loosehead prop) | 185K | +40% | 260K |
| 2 (Hooker) | 215K | +13% | 245K |
| 3 (Tighthead prop) | 200K | +22.5% | 245K |
| 4 (Lock) | 250K | +16% | 290K |
| 5 (Lock) | 280K | +7% | 300K |
| 6/7 (Flanker) | 220K | +9% | 240K |
| 8 (Number 8) | 270K | +9% | 295K |
| 9 (Scrum-half) | 230K | +13% | 260K |
| 10 (Fly-half) | 260K | +31% | 343K |
| 12/13 (Centres) | 250K | +10% | 275K |
| 11/14 (Wings) | 200K | +12.5% | 225K |
| 15 (Full-back) | 220K | +13.5% | 250K |
Keen to avoid a bubble, the LNR, and therefore the club presidents, had voted as early as 2010 to bring in a salary cap. The maximum figure this season has been set at 10.7 million euros (+180,000 per international player on the Premium list).
| Budget | 2016 | Change (%) | 2025 budget |
| Average budget | 23.35M€ | +46% | 34.09M€ |
| Top 3 Biggest (3 largest) | 29.85M€ | +59.5% | 47.65M€ |
| Top 3 Smallest (3 smallest) | 17.15M€ | +21.85% | 20.90M€ |
This salary inflation has to be set alongside the rise in club budgets and the never-ending increase from the historic broadcaster Canal +.
| TV rights | 2016 | Change (%) | 2025 |
| Amount | 71M | +60.5% | 114M |
*The average salaries by position do not take into account those of Espoirs contracts (outside the salary cap if below 50,000 euros gross per year)
*More than 600 players make up the professional squads of the Top 14 clubs
Average salary of the top 3 compared between 2016 and 2026
There is a major geopolitical shift: in 2016, the stars came from the southern hemisphere (NZ, Australia). In 2025, it is the British who dominate the market, fleeing the financial crisis in the English Premiership.
Top 3 best-paid players in 2016 (estimated salaries)
- Dan Carter 72,000 / month
- Matt Giteau 66,000 / month
- Leigh Halfpenny 55,000 / month
Top 3 best-paid players in 2025 (estimated salaries)
- Owen Farrell 100,000 euros / month
- Dan Biggar 75,000 / month
- Antoine Dupont 71,000 / month
While the gap is widening between the “big” and the “small” budgets, the financial power of the Top 14 shows no sign of fading. Carried by the loyalty of its broadcaster, the French league confirms its status as the Eldorado of world rugby, now capable of paying a fly-half 1.2 million euros a year.
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