Despite the Premiership ongoing financial meltdown, the key members of the England squad could earn £325,000 each in the build-up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Players are currently paid a match fee of £25,000 per game with 13 tests scheduled between now and the start of the sports showpiece next September.
As a result, these players would be paid MORE by the RFU than Championship clubs in a calendar year.
The men in white earn by far the most money per test with the All Blacks paid £15,000 and most other nations considerably less than that.
With the restructuring of English rugby incoming following the collapse of Wasps and Worcester, it is now looking more and more likely that central contracts could be introduced.
The RFU would pay a certain percentage of the players wages in exchange for the club giving up a certain amount of control. The idea is that national unions can prevent players from playing in too many club games so that they can be fresh for internationals.
Essentially to avoid the situation where french internationals have to play two club games and five internationals over the 7 weeks that the six nations are played over.
The Welsh Rugby Union and Irish Rugby Union have already implemented this in the last decade.
EDITORS PICKS:
- The Top 10 Players In World Rugby For 2022
- DONE: 18 Worcester players now have new clubs
- England Autumn Nations Series squad: Slade omitted
- Joe Launchbury set to be rescued by former club
- London Irish respond to reported merger with Wasps
England players wages revealed with £460k-a-season Marcus Smith the seventh highest earner
Marcus Smith might be the latest big thing in English rugby but he is still only England's seventh highest earner.
#10. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks) - £430,000 per season
Tom Curry of England during the Autumn Nations Match between England and Tonga at Twickenham Stoop on 6 November 2021. Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK
#9. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) - £450,000
#8. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs) - £450,000
Henry Slade of England kicks the conversion during the Autumn Nations Match between England and Tonga at Twickenham Stoop on 6 November 2021. Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK
#7. Marcus Smith (Harlequins) - £460,000
Try Celebrations for Marcus Smith of England during the Autumn Nations Match between England and Tonga at Twickenham Stoop on 6 November 2021. Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK
#6. Mako Vunipola (Saracens) - £500,000
Mako Vunipola of England during the Autumn Nations Cup match between England and Ireland at Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham, London on November 21 2020. - PHOTO: Phil Mingo/PPAUK
#5. Billy Vunipola (Saracens) - £520,000
#4. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears) £520,000
Ellis Genge of England Rugby is tackled by Will Rowlands of Wales during the Six Nations Championship match between England and Wales at Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham, London on February 26th 2021. - PHOTO: Phil Mingo/PPAUK
#3. George Ford (Sale Sharks) - £550,000
Leicester Tigers player Ellis Genge during the Gallagher Premiership rugby game between Leicester Tigers and Harlequins at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Dec 5th - PHOTO: Steve Bond/PPAUK
#2. Maro Itoje (Saracens) - £800,000
Maro Itoje of the Saracens during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Match between Bath Rugby and Saracens at the Recreation Ground on 17 Oct. Photo: Steve Haag/PPAUK
#1. Owen Farrell (Saracens) - £820,000
