Though becoming a Springbok is a dream career for many young South Africans, how much does it really pay?

Although Springbok stars receive generous compensation every year, their overall take-home pay varies significantly.

Instead of getting paid through a central contract, the majority of rugby players rely largely on the funds they receive from their club.

As a result, the players that earn the highest salaries for the Springboks are those who have played overseas, especially in lucrative competitions like the Premiership, Top 14 and Japan’s Top League.

It’s similar to asking how long a piece of thread is, what does a Springbok rugby player get paid.

The players on the lower end of the pay spectrum would expect to be taking home somewhere in the region of R500,000 while any player involved in the Rugby World Cup win will be in for a massive boost in pay.

The highest earning Springboks on the other hand can make as much as R32 million per year.

SA Rugby has not made public the figure that is paid to players in match fees but that is paid at a fixed rate agreed by players ahead of turning out.

What can South African teams spend on players

The pay cap for South Africa’s United Rugby Championship teams was recently increased from R71 million to R85 million.

The franchises have been permitted to sign four marquee players over and above their cap in an effort to entice famous players to rejoin South African rugby.

In order to draw players, some teams also set up extra sponsorship or endorsement agreements. It is known that the Sharks have plans in place to guarantee that stars like Eben Eztebeth receive compensation that is on par with that of well-known players abroad.

These actions have made URC teams more competitive in the player market, despite the fact that South African players continue to leave the country at a relatively high rate.