What it pays to be part of Bok matchday squad
While a professional rugby career may appear lucrative at first glance, examining the levels beneath the Springboks reveals why many South African players opt to play overseas.
A breakdown of SA Rugby’s contributions to Players of National Interest has revealed that Springboks players receive a match fee of almost R120 000.
The SA Rugby Industry Collective Agreement has provided an explanation of minimum wages for Springboks, franchise, provincial and sevens players, detailing in each case what portion of the salary is covered by SA Rugby.
South African Rugby Player Salaries and SARU’s Contribution
From the South African Rugby Industry Collective Agreement (2024-2027), here is a breakdown of player earnings and the percentage covered by the South African Rugby Union.
PONI =Players of National Interest pic.twitter.com/AFEzqZ6sDG
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Where SA Rugby does make a contribution, this is over and above each player’s income from their club contracts and endorsement deals.
Though it seems a professional rugby career is well-paid, a closer look at the tiers below the Springboks perhaps sheds some light on why so many South African players choose to play abroad.
The minimum monthly salary for a player representing a South African union in the United Rugby Championship (URC) is just shy of R40 000. The URC is the pinnacle of club rugby in South Africa, while the English Premiership is the top-tier club competition in England.
The starting contract value for a player breaking into a senior squad, such as academy graduates or those making their first-team debut, typically starts at around £40 000, which is north of R900 000, or almost double the minimum of what their South African counterparts would earn in the URC.
The average salary in the English Premiership has been reported at approximately £150 000.
Meanwhile, the Blitzboks each earn a minimum retainer of R353 000 per annum, incentivised by tournament win bonuses of between R6 000 and R37 000.
The agreement, which covers the period 2024 to 2027, indicates the percentage covered by the South African Rugby Union.
- Springbok match-day squad: R118 197.93 per match (fully funded)
- Springbok non-playing squad: R59 539 per week/R8 505.57 per day (fully funded)
- Springbok training squad (released to province): R8 505.57 per day (fully funded)
- PONI (Players of National Interest) player minimum salary: R11 985 per month (partially funded via pool)
- Semi-professional player minimum salary: R6 790 per month (not specified)
- Development player minimum salary: No set minimum
- Springbok Sevens minimum annual retainer: R353 062 per year
- Sevens tournament win bonus (range): R6 175 – R37 055 per player
- Domestic franchise player minimum salary (URC/Europe): R39 575 per month (not specified)
- Currie Cup First Division match fee: R2 268 per match (not specified)
- Currie Cup Premier Division match fee: R3 394 per match (not specified)
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