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Club-by-club Top 14 salary cap figures revealed for 2026/27 season

Toulouse's French centre Kalvin Gourgues (L), Toulouse's French scrum-half Antoine Dupont (2nd L) and Toulouse's French hooker Julien Marchand celebrate after winning the French Top 14 rugby union final against Montpellier Hérault Rugby (MHR) at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris, on June 27, 2026. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP via Getty Images)
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With the Top14 already underway, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby has released the salary cap figures for each club for the 2026/2027 season.

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The competition’s base budget is €11.1 million, a figure that may increase depending on how many players are involved with the French national 15s and 7s squads.

The reigning champions, Stade Toulousain, have the largest salary cap budget in the competition, reaching €13.8 million, which is driven by the club having 16 players who have represented the French national team in the past season – 15 in the 15s and one in the 7s.

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As reigning Champions Cup winners, Union Bordeaux Bègles benefit from a salary cap allowance of €12.72 million. The figure reflects the club’s strong international representation, with nine players selected for the Les Bleus, among them Matthieu Jalibert, Maxime Lucu, and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, plus one more in the 7s.

Rounding out the top three is RC Toulon; having released around six players to Fabien Galthié’s squad, they reached a salary cap figure of €12.18 million for this season.

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The gap between Stade Toulousain and the teams at the bottom of the salary cap range is €2.7 million, with the French national team factor influencing each club’s financial capacity regarding player salaries.

The LNR also announced plans to raise the minimum salary cap to €11.3 million for the 2029/2030 season, representing steady, incremental growth for the clubs involved in the Top 14.

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However, the organisation that manages France’s top two rugby divisions has announced changes – effective from the 2027/2028 season – regarding the credits/funding allocated to clubs that have more players involved with the national team.

The revised system introduces diminishing compensation as clubs provide more international players, helping to limit the gap between clubs that contribute a small number of representatives and those that account for a significant share of the national squad.

If the proposed rule change had been in effect this season, Stade Toulousain would have operated under a salary cap of approximately €13.5 million, with the new regulations trying to balance the gap between Top 14 sides.

Club | Salary Cap capacity | Number of players given to the 15s / 7s 

1. Stade Toulousain | €13.8M | 15/1
2. Union Bordeaux Bègles | €12.72M | 9/1
3. RC Toulon | €12.18M | 6/1
4. Stade Rochelais | €12.16M | 5/1
5. Section Paloise | €12M | 5/1
6. ASM Clermont | €11.64M | 3/1
6. LOU Rugby | €11.64M | 3/1
8. Montpellier HR | €11.46M | 2/1
8. Racing 92 | €11.46M | 2/1
10. Aviron Bayonnais | €11.28M | 1/1
10. Stade Français | €11.28M | 1/1
12. Castres Olympique | €11.1M | 0/1
12. USA Perpignan | €11.1M | 0/1
12. RC Vannes | €11.1M | 0/1

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Soliloquin 32 days ago

Thanks for the article, but… why there isn’t more info about Top 14’s rugby, instead of Top 14’s financial power?

The Vannes piece was great, although as J Marc wrote, some key info could have been added.

But there doesn’t seem to be recaps of Top 14, which has started again this weekend, the domestic league most experts and pundits see as the best in the world.


This focus on the finances seems to serve the narrative of “they just have money and that’s the only reason the French league is strong”.

The intrications are way more interesting than that in my opinion.

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