Top 10 Highest Paid Players

10 - Manu Tuilagi - Leicester Tigers - €540,000 per season

Tuilagi penned a three-year contract renewal with Leicester at the end of 2015, he has made just 23 appearances for Tigers since the start of the 2013-14 season due to a string of long-term injuries.

9 - Bryan Habana - Toulon - €570,000 per season

Habana made the high profile switch to the glamour of Toulon in 2013, he has gone on to win the Top14 in 2014 & Champions Cup (2014 & 2015) - Habana recently extended his contract for another season that will see the South African remain at the club until the summer of 2018.

8 - Charles Piutau - Ulster - €600,000 per season

Piutau cut his All Blacks career short in 2015 by heading to Wasps - scoring 8 tries in 23 appearances for the club. The 25-year-old joined Ulster in 2016 for a club record fee on a two-year contract.

The Leinster & Ireland out-half is one of the leading earners in Irish Rugby. Following a spell in Paris with Racing 92, Sexton returned to Leinster on a four-year dual contract with the IRFU.

6 - Ma'a Nonu - Toulon - €600,000 per season

The All Blacks centre joined Toulon after winning the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Nonu quickly gelled into a star studded back-line and became a leader for the side. He signed on a two-year contract but is set to remain at the French outfit until 2018.

 

 

 

Halfpenny joined Toulon in 2014 from the Cardiff Blues on a three-year deal. In one of the biggest transfers in world rugby at the time. The Welsh full-back has enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at the Stade Felix Mayol.

4 - Aaron Cruden - Montpellier - €800,000 per season

Cruden agreed to join Montpellier in January 2017, the move will see the former Chiefs fly-half become the 4th highest paid player in world rugby. Cruden will link up with new head coach Vern Cotter for the 2017/18 campaign.

3 - Matt Giteau - Toulon - €1.08 million per season

Giteau moved to Toulon following the 2011 Rugby World Cup, dubbed ‘the boss’ by Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal, he was a key figure in Toulon’s three European titles. Giteau will be out of contract at the end of the French Top 14 campaign and will embark on a new chapter in his career in Japan.

2 - Dan Carter - Racing 92 - €1.67million per season

Carter joined the Parisian outfit following the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The New Zealand out-half tasted success, winning the Top 14 in 2016. He signed on a three-year deal, remaining with the club until 2018.

Goromaru put his name on the map after some eye-catching performances in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at full back for Japan. Goromaru signed for the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby before being involved in a swap deal with Toulon's Quade Cooper. The deal sees him become the highest paid rugby player in the world. He has represented Toulon on 4 occasions in the Top 14.