It’s always fascinating to take a closer look at the pay structure within South African rugby, from the iconic Springboks to the local franchise and sevens teams.
With salaries varying across levels, we can get a sense of how much players are earning and what kind of financial backing is in place, especially from the South African Rugby Union (SARU).
Player Earnings: A Breakdown of South African Rugby Salaries
According to the South African Rugby Industry Collective Agreement for 2024-2027, shared by the trusted sports business source Cash N Sport, there’s some interesting insight into how player earnings are structured and what SARU is covering.
For top players, it’s reported that members of the Springbok match-day squad will earn R118,197.93 per match, with this amount fully funded by SARU.
On the other hand, Springbok players who are part of the non-playing squad will receive R59,539 per week.
Those in the training squad, who are occasionally released to their provinces, can earn R8,505.57 per day.
When it comes to domestic franchise players, those competing in the URC or European competitions have a minimum salary of R39,575 per month.
If they’re playing in the Currie Cup Premier division, they’ll earn a match fee of R3,394.
As for the Springbok Sevens team, their players are guaranteed a minimum annual retainer of R353,062, which is fully funded.
While these are the base salary figures, it’s important to note that many players, especially top-tier ones, earn much more than the minimum.
Additional income often comes through sponsorships, commercial deals, and intellectual property rights, adding to their overall earnings.
Big Earners in the International Scene
South African rugby stars playing overseas earn significantly higher salaries than their domestic counterparts.
Top Springboks are known to sign multi-million rand contracts each season when playing abroad, adding another layer of financial prestige to their careers.
The Financial Reality of SA Rugby
It’s also important to keep in mind that the South African Rugby Union had a challenging financial year in 2023, as they reported a deficit of R6.8 million (before tax).
However, CEO Rian Oberholzer described this as a “major achievement” given the tough global rugby landscape.
Many other national unions were facing even bigger losses.
A large portion of SA Rugby’s annual revenue, about 38% (R385 million), was spent on participating in both the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and European Professional Club Rugby competitions.
Additionally, R133 million was invested in the successful Rugby World Cup campaign, while other national team activities and securing player image rights amounted to R326 million.
Even though the revenue was lower in 2023—down 7% from R1.54 billion in 2022 to R1.44 billion—these investments helped secure the future of South African rugby, despite the reduced number of Springbok fixtures.