Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Handre, Eben and Faf rake in the bucks
THIS week rugby website Ruck released a list of the The World’s Highest Paid XV which included three Springbok players – Handre Pollard, Eben Etzebeth and Faf de Klerk.
Springbok Pollard, playing for French club Montpellier, took joint top place at R20 million a year, along with former All Black Charles Piutau, who plays for Bristol Bears in the UK.
South Africa’s formidable World Cup lock, Etzebeth, who is playing for Toulon, took second place at R18m – it seems the French pay well – followed by English lock Maro Itoje who plays for Saracens, taking home R16.5m.
Making up the top five was another former All Black, Kieran Read, at R16m, who plays for Toyota Verblitz in Japan.
Faf de Klerk, who plays for Sale Sharks in the UK, took 11th place at R12m.
The top XV list, with a combined total of R213m a year, was made up as follows:
Front Row
Loosehead prop: Mako Vunipola, Saracens UK (R9m)
Hooker: Guilhelm Guirado, Montpellier France (R10m)
Tighthead prop: Tadhg Furlong,
Leinster UK (R9.6m)
Second Row
Lock: Maro Itoje, Saracens UK
(R16.5m)
Lock: Eben Etzebeth, Toulon France (R18m)
Back Row
Blindside flanker: Steve Luatua, Bristol Bears UK (R13m)
Openside flanker: Michael Hooper, Toyota Verblitz Japan (R15m)
Number 8: Kieran Read, Toyota Verblitz Japan (R16m)
Halfbacks
Scrumhalf: Faf de Klerk, Sale
Sharks UK (R12m)
Flyhalf: Handre Pollard, Montpellier France (R20m)
Centres
Virimi Vakatawa, Racing 92 France (R15.6m)
Owen Farrell, Saracens UK (R15m) Back Three
Winger: Charles Piutau, Bristol
Bears UK (R20m)
Winger: Stuart Hogg, Exeter
Chiefs UK (R11m)
Fullback: Beauden Barrett, Suntory Goliath Japan (R15.6m)