Who is the highest-paid Springbok?

While the top rugby players in the world don’t earn nearly as much as other sporting codes, it is clear that the top Springboks certainly make quite a bit.

THE HIGHEST-PAID SPRINGBOKS

We take a look at the players who earn the most now and reveal the highest-paid Springbok.

5. EBEN ETZEBETH

The exact salary the Sharks pay Eben Etzebeth has not been nailed down, but it is understood to have been a slightly lower figure than he was earning in France.

The capture of Etzebeth was a massive one for the Sharks, and he is the biggest star on their books by far. He is said to earn between R14 and R17 million per year.

4. SIYA KOLISI

While the top 14 does have a salary cap, several top players left the club just before Siya Kolisi came in, and there is no reason to suggest that he would be anything less than one of the club’s top earners.

Kolisi is likely to be earning between R18 and R20 million per season to turn out for Racing 92.

The star man has admitted that he hasn’t given much thought to how his career will progress moving forward.

“I haven’t thought about it,” he said. “The most important and urgent thing has been the World Cup, but being a Springbok captain is obviously a huge thing.

“As captain, I only have a small role to play in the team — I have guys like Eben Etzebeth, Duane Vermeulen, Cheslin Kolbe and Retshegofaditswe ‘Ox’ Nché in the leadership group.”

3. FAF DE KLERK

Japan-based De Klerk also rakes in the cash.

De Klerk had spent five seasons with the Sale Sharks in the English Premiership.

He pairs up with Japanese international flyhalf Yu Tamura at club level, but some have questioned the decision to play in the Top League.

SPRINGBOKS TOP EARNERS

2. HANDRE POLLARD

At one time, his deal with the Leicester Tigers made him the highest-paid rugby player in the world.

The latest figures suggest that Pollard now earns around 14.2 million directly from the Tigers.

1. CHESLIN KOLBE

Cheslin Kolbe made headlines when he allegedly rejected a R15 million deal to play for the Stormers.

Kolbe has since rubbished that figure and revealed that he would have been taking a big pay cut to rejoin the Stormers.

Kolbe accepted a mega-money deal to go to Japan instead with Suntory Goliath, who said he would be paying him more than R20 million per season.

Scotland’s Finn Russell’s new deal with Bath makes him the highest-paid player in the world.

There is a suggestion that Siya Kolisi’s deal with Racing 92 might put him in a similar bracket.