Breaking: The 2020/21 Premiership salary cap report by numbers
Premiership Rugby’s salary cap report has confirmed that the average income of a player in the English top-flight with over 50 international caps was £325,306 in 2020/21, a remuneration that was approximately £130,000 less than the average £457,409 income of a marquee player sat outside a club’s salary cap.
Just shy of £100m in cash was spent on senior and academy players in the 2020/21 Gallagher Premiership season, according to the 20-page salary cap report just published by Premiership Rugby.
The figures – which included Saracens despite their demotion to the Championship – showed that £94,722,353 was the cash spent on senior players with a further outlay of £4,143,756 on academy players, down from the approximate £108m spent in 2019/20. It covered 607 senior players and 263 in academies.
Having strengthened their salary cap procedures following the Lord Myners report of 2020, Premiership Rugby have now committed to annually publishing its salary cap report and they have now provided a review of the 2020/21 season.
The document doesn’t show the wage bill of specific clubs or the specific salaries of players, but it still offered a treasure trove of more general information such as which positions on the pitch earned the biggest salaries and the age bracket that was the best remunerated.
Of the nine income bands in the report, ranging from the 17 per cent of players in the £30,000 to £50,000 bracket at the bottom of the scale to the four per cent at the top-end £400,000-plus section, 28 per cent of players who played in the Premiership last season had an income of between £50,000 and £100,000. The next biggest was the £100,000 to £150,000 band which accounted for 19 per cent of players.
Moving on to pay by position, the highest-paid was out-half with an average income of £175,679. Centre was next best with an average of £167,779 while the highest-paid position in the forwards was lock with an average of £158,617. Hooker, with £113,115, and scrum-half, with £117,912, were the two least renumerated positions.
Props earned an average of £140,897, but the report didn’t differentiate between loosehead and tighthead. “We deliberately kept it at props,” explained salary cap director Andrew Rogers. “We recognise there is a difference in skill set but we haven’t got the data to hand as to the differences. Historically the tightheads have always been with a bit more and those who can play both sides are obviously pretty popular too within the market.”
The report then delved into the salary bandings position by position. For instance, 43 per cent of hookers only earned between £50,000 and £100,000 whereas 13 per cent of out-halves earned £400,000-plus.
The age banding with the highest average income was 26 to 28 with £182,532, while a clear trend of increased income for players with more Premiership appearances was also reported as players with more than 100 games earned the highest, an average of £205,000. It also stated that the average income of a player with over 50 international caps was £325,306.
The date ended with the average income of an excluded marque player, which was £457,409. However, excluded players were not always the highest-paid players and one club didn’t even nominate any excluded marquee players for this particular salary cap year.
It meant that the average income of the top 24 earners during the 2020/21 season was £532,894 – and ten of the 24 excluded players were not in the top 24 earners.
2020/21 Salary Cap report takeaways
- The total number of players that contributed to club cost in the senior salary cap was 607 and 263 in the academy salary cap. These numbers included players on short-term contracts during the season and ex-players who received payments during the salary cap year.
- The average senior player total salary was £171,187 and player income was £143,699.
- The highest-paid position was fly-half with an average income of £175,679. The highest-paid forward was lock with an average income of £158,617.
- The lowest-paid forward was hooker with an average income of £113,115, and the lowest-paid back was scrum-half with £117,912.
- The age band with the highest average income was 26 to 28 with an average of £182,532.
- Players who joined from abroad and had 0 Premiership appearances had an average income of £98,123 compared to £44,550 for players who did not come from abroad.
- The average income of a player with over 50 international caps was £325,306.
- The average income of an excluded marquee player sitting outside the salary cap was £457,409. However, excluded players weren’t always the highest-paid players.
- The average income of the top 24 earners during the 2020/21 season was £532,894 and ten of the 24 excluded players were not in the top 24 earners.
Click here to read the full 20-page 2020/21 Premiership Rugby salary cap report
Comments on RugbyPass
Bulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
20 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
7 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
72 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
20 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
7 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
20 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
20 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
20 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
2 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to comments