Two Springboks among World Cup’s highest paid stars

This Springboks pair is reportedly among the 10 highest earning players currently competing at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

According to a list compiled by Welsh news outlet WalesOnline.co.uk, Cheslin Kolbe and Handre Pollard feature on the list, alongside two Englishmen and one player each from Ireland, Wales, France, Tonga, Samoa and Scotland.

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Kolbe is the third-best earner, with an estimated TBC income at his new club Suntory Sungoliath, a Japanese side which he joined earlier this year after being released from his contract with French giants Toulon.

Pollard is ninth on the highest paid player at the World Cup, with the Springbok playmaker raking in about R14.2m per season at the Leicester Tigers. Pollard signed for the English giants in 2022. 

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Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje are the two England players on the list, which also boasts the likes of Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong, Samoa loose forward Steven Luatua, France scrumhalf and arguably the best player in the world at the moment Antoine Dupont, veteran Welsh flyhalf Dan Biggar, Charles Piutau of Tonga and Scotland’s Finn Russell.

*The figures used in this article are based on the players’ salaries over the 2022/2023 season and for the upcoming 2023/2024 campaign.

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TOP 10 HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS AT THE RWC 2023

1. Finn Russell (R23.2m, Racing)
2. Charles Piutau (R23.2m, Bristol Bears)
3. Cheslin Kolbe (R20.9m, Suntory Sungoliath)
4. Maro Itoje (R18.6m, Saracens)
5. Dan Bigger (R18.6m, Toulon)
6. Owen Farrell (R18.6m, Saracens)
7. Antoine Dupont (R16.3m, Toulouse)
8. Steven Luatua (R14.4m, Bristol Bears)
9. Handre Pollard (R14.2m, Leicester Tigers)
10.Tadhg Furlong (R14m, Leinster)

HANDRE POLLARD IS WITH THE SPRINGBOKS AT THE 2023 WORLD CUP