Antoine Dupont now the highest-paid rugby player in the world (Full list)

From Japan to Europe, top stars are securing lucrative deals that reflect their global value and on-field impact.

Based on estimated annual earnings, the following list highlights the five highest-paid players in the game today, showcasing how commercial power now rivals performance across the professional era.

Maro Itoje is estimated to earn around £800,000 per year at Saracens, with his overall package boosted by his RFU contract.

The England and British & Irish Lions captain is one of the biggest names in the global game, with his combined earnings believed to push his total annual package close to the £1 million mark.

Itoje has spent his entire senior club career with Saracens, winning multiple Premiership and European titles while establishing himself as one of the leading forwards of his generation.

The second-row remains a central figure for both club and country and captained the British & Irish Lions during their 2025 tour of Australia.

Cheslin Kolbe is estimated to earn around £930,000 per year as a star player for Tokyo Sungoliath in Japan Rugby League One. However, reports suggest he may have accepted a reduced salary ahead of his return to South Africa.

The winger is set to join the DHL Stormers next season, where player salaries are generally lower than those on offer in Japan.

Kolbe played a pivotal role in South Africa's Rugby World Cup victories in 2019 and 2023, including scoring one of the standout tries in the 2019 final.

Richie Mo'unga earns an estimated $2 million per season, equivalent to around £1.04 million, while playing for Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo in Japan Rugby League One.

Like Kolbe, Mo'unga has confirmed he will return home, rejoining the Crusaders in New Zealand.

The opportunity to become eligible for All Blacks selection again is thought to have influenced his decision, with reports suggesting he has accepted a lower salary to make the move.

For now, he remains third on this list.

Finn Russell is reported to earn around £1.2 million annually at Bath Rugby following a lucrative contract extension. That deal makes him the highest-paid player in the Prem and one of the top earners in world rugby.

The Scotland fly-half has also joined Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Talent Agency, a move that could further boost his commercial earning potential.

Russell will miss this weekend's match against Argentina as he continues to recover from a calf injury that also ruled him out of Bath's Gallagher Prem semi-final defeat to Exeter Chiefs.

Antoine Dupont has reinforced his status as rugby's biggest star by signing a four-year contract extension with Toulouse, keeping him at the club until 2031.

The agreement extends his previous deal, which ran until 2027, and is reportedly worth around £1.2 million per season. That figure makes the France captain the highest-paid player in world rugby.

By the end of the contract, Dupont will be 34 years old and could have featured in two more Rugby World Cups. Given his global profile and marketability, a lucrative move abroad, potentially to Japan, would not be a surprise once his time at Toulouse eventually comes to an end.

Since rugby turned professional in 1995, England have had a host of captains lead the team through World Cups, Grand Slams, Lions tours and some of the biggest moments in the sport's history.

From World Cup-winning legends to short-term stand-ins, how many England captains of the professional era can you name?

You have five minutes to name them all. Good luck!?