Senior scrum-halves earned an average of £119,614 last season, some £93,568 less than fly-halves
Scrum-halves are the lowest-paid players in the English Premiership according to the recent salary-cap report.
Premiership Rugby released its fourth annual report and found that, on average, senior scrum-halves in the league earn an average income of £119,614, the lowest of all positions. This was marginally above wingers who take home an average of £120,490 per season.
The scrum-half total has also dropped year-on-year by £1,490 with the 2022-2023 season average at £121,104.
Unsurprisingly, fly-halves held on to the top sport with an average salary of £231,182, up from £220,847 the year before. This is helped along by the likes of Finn Russell who is reported to earn £1 million a year at Bath Rugby.
Back-rowers have become the best paid forwards in the Premiership. Their average earnings of £160,908 usurped the second-row who now bring in an average of £154,100, a figure that had dropped significantly from £174,785 the year before.
Read more: All you need to know about the Gallagher Premiership
Average senior player income by position
- Fly-half: £213,182 (£150,000)
- Back-row: £160,908 (£150,000)
- Centre: £160,720 (£139,720)
- Lock: £154,100 (£141,461)
- Prop: £137,794 (£120,625)
- Full-back: £133,994 (£133,500)
- Hooker: £133,232 (£109,250)
- Wing: £120,490 (£115,000)
- Scrum-half: £119,614 (£101,000)
Full-backs like George Furbank are among the lowest earners in the Premiership. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
The biggest losers in the pay game come at full-back where a drop in salary from £169,918 to £133,994.
For the second season in a row, not a single winger, hooker or scrum-half earning over £350,000. Meanwhile, 17% of senior fly-halves in the league took home more than £400,000.
In addition, not a single player under the age of 25 earned more than £300k a year. To put that in perspective, it is reported that 17-year-old Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal earns €40 million a year at Barcelona.
Premiership clubs were allowed to exclude one player from the report on the bases that he either is new to the Premiership, has always been at his current club or has been with his current club for at least two full salary cap years.
The average player income for excluded players came on at £569,51 with only three of the 10 excluded players not in the top 10 earners in the league.
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