Rugby salary caps compared
The Top 14 has the highest salary cap in rugby: a club can spend €11,000,000 on its players in 2026/27. The Premiership allows £6,400,000, the NRL AU$11,950,000 and Super League £2,100,000. In the women's game the cap is AU$1,386,000 in the NRLW and £268,000 in Premiership Women's Rugby.
The men's competitions, highest cap first
Each club's cap for the current season, in the currency the competition sets it in, and converted so the four can be ranked against each other
| COMPETITION | CODE | SEASON | CAP | CONVERTED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 14 | Union | 2026/27 | €11,000,000 | £9,401,709£9.4m |
| Premiership | Union | 2026/27 | £6,400,000 | £6,400,000£6.4m |
| NRL | League | 2026 | AU$11,950,000 | £6,322,751£6.3m |
| Super League | League | 2026 | £2,100,000 | £2,100,000£2.1m |
The caps side by side
Each men's cap for the current season, converted to one currency
The Top 14 cap works out at £180,802 a week for a whole squad. 38 Premier League players are paid more than that on their own, led by Erling Haaland on £450,000 a week.
Top 14 salary cap
Rugby union's top division in France: each club's cap, by season
season set, not yet played
| SEASON | CAP | CHANGE |
|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | €10,700,000 | - |
| 2026/27 | €11,000,000 | +2.8% |
| 2027/28 | €11,100,000 | +0.9% |
| 2028/29 | €11,200,000 | +0.9% |
| 2029/30 | €11,300,000 | +0.9% |
A club's cap goes up by €180,000 for each player who meets the criteria for France's XV and by €100,000 for each France sevens player, with those credits limited to €1,575,000 a club from 2027/28. The cap is already set for the next three seasons, rising to €11,300,000 in 2029/30. The league has also dropped its limit of 35 professional contracts a squad.
Premiership salary cap
Rugby union's top division in England: the senior salary cap, by season
| SEASON | CAP | CHANGE |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | £6,400,000 | - |
| 2021/22 | £5,000,000 | -21.9% |
| 2022/23 | £5,000,000 | no change |
| 2023/24 | £5,000,000 | no change |
| 2024/25 | £6,400,000 | +28.0% |
| 2025/26 | £6,400,000 | no change |
| 2026/27 | £6,400,000 | no change |
The cap was cut from £6,400,000 to £5,000,000 for 2021/22 and held there for three seasons, then went back up to £6,400,000 in 2024/25. Since 2025/26 there has been a floor as well: every club must spend at least £5,400,000. Home-grown players earn a club a credit of up to £50,000 each, to £600,000 in all, and each club may name one excluded player whose pay sits outside the cap.
NRL salary cap
Rugby league's top division in Australia and New Zealand: the cap on each club's Top 30 players, by season
season set, not yet played
| SEASON | CAP | CHANGE |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | AU$9,400,000 | - |
| 2023 | AU$11,450,000 | +21.8% |
| 2024 | AU$11,650,000 | +1.7% |
| 2025 | AU$11,800,000 | +1.3% |
| 2026 | AU$11,950,000 | +1.3% |
| 2027 | AU$12,100,000 | +1.3% |
The 2026 cap is made up of a base of AU$11,550,000, a motor vehicle allowance of AU$100,000 and AU$300,000 for veteran and club-developed players. It is AU$2,550,000 higher than in 2022, a rise of 27.1%, and 2023 brought the biggest single rise, AU$2,050,000. The 2027 cap is already set at AU$12,100,000.
Super League salary cap
Rugby league's top division in Europe: each club's cap, by season
Super League's cap has been £2,100,000 in every season from 2020 to 2026. Between 2022 and 2026 the NRL's rose by 27.1%.
Salary caps in women's rugby
The two women's competitions that publish a cap, with each as a share of the men's
| COMPETITION | SEASON | CAP | CONVERTED | SHARE OF THE MEN'S CAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRLW | 2026 | AU$1,386,000 | £733,333£733k | 11.6% |
| Premiership Women's Rugby | 2026/27 | £268,000 | £268,000£268k | 4.2% |
Premiership Women's Rugby caps what each club pays its players at £268,000 for 2026/27, 4.2% of the Premiership's senior cap.
NRLW salary cap
Rugby league's top women's competition in Australia and New Zealand: each club's cap, by season
season set, not yet played
| SEASON | CAP | CHANGE |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | AU$900,000 | - |
| 2024 | AU$1,020,000 | +13.3% |
| 2025 | AU$1,254,000 | +22.9% |
| 2026 | AU$1,386,000 | +10.5% |
| 2027 | AU$1,518,000 | +9.5% |
The NRLW cap has risen by 54.0% since 2023, and the 2027 cap is already set at AU$1,518,000. In 2026 it is 11.6% of the NRL cap.
Frequently asked questions
Which rugby competition has the highest salary cap?
The Top 14. A club can spend €11,000,000 on its players in 2026/27, which is £9,401,709. The Premiership is second on £6,400,000, and the NRL is third on AU$11,950,000, which is £6,322,751.
What is the NRL salary cap for 2026?
AU$11,950,000 for each club's Top 30 players: a base of AU$11,550,000, a motor vehicle allowance of AU$100,000 and AU$300,000 for veteran and club-developed players. It rises to AU$12,100,000 in 2027.
Does the Premiership still have a salary cap?
Yes. The senior salary cap is £6,400,000 for 2026/27, the same as in 2024/25 and 2025/26, and since 2025/26 every club has had to spend at least £5,400,000 as well.
What is the Top 14 salary cap?
€11,000,000 a club for 2026/27, up from €10,700,000 in 2025/26. The league has already set the next three seasons at €11,100,000, €11,200,000 and €11,300,000.
What is the Super League salary cap?
£2,100,000 a club in 2026, the same figure as in every season from 2020.
What is the NRLW salary cap?
AU$1,386,000 a club in 2026, rising to AU$1,518,000 in 2027. That is 11.6% of the NRL cap for 2026.
What is the salary cap in Premiership Women's Rugby?
£268,000 a club for 2026/27, covering everything a club pays its players. That is 4.2% of the Premiership's senior cap.
Where to next
What the money looks like in other sports
See the highest paying sports, the football clubs with the biggest wage bills, or the highest paid Premier League players.