This article looks at the salaries of Gloucester Rugby players in the English Premiership.
You probably know that individual salaries are private contracts and the details are rarely made fully public by the club.
However, several companies associated with player agents have published averages across the Premiership. This means we can estimate the wage ranges within a club.
We can also identify the highest earners. Let’s get into it!
How Do Gloucester Rugby Players Get Paid?
Before we review the figures, we’ll take a quick look at the different ways that players are paid. It’s not just through club salaries.
Their entire income come from several sources (but perhaps not all the ones listed below):
- Monthly salary from the club
- Win bonuses for Premiership matches
- Brand deals, endorsements, and sponsorships
- Image licensing and rights
- International test caps (for England or other countries)
- Touring with the British & Irish Lions
Gloucester Rugby pays the monthly salary and bonuses for each player.
Brand deals and sponsorships from third parties can be worth very different amounts across players, so I won’t go into these.
This article focuses on wages paid by Gloucester Rugby and by England.
Image rights and brand advertising
Image rights may be purchased by outside firms who license the use of player images in their advertising campaigns.
This varies from huge brands (e.g. sporting equipment and clothing) to local businesses. If you live in the town of Gloucester, you may see the faces of lesser-known players in local advertising.
Experienced players will hire professional agents to negotiate brand deals and sponsorships with third parties.
Younger players often start off with their father or another relative acting on their behalf.
How Have Covid Restrictions Impacted Salaries?
The 2020/21 Premiership season was shortened due to Covid restrictions. Match attendances were also curtailed.
TV revenue was reduced due to the shorter season. The drop in gate receipts also hit club income.
All the Gloucester players agreed to take a twenty-five percent cut. The club then negotiated with the highest-paid players to take further pay cuts.
This article uses the averages and reported salaries of more normal times. You can mentally reduce the figures in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic.
What Is The Average Salary Of A Gloucester Rugby Player?
The average salary for Gloucester Rugby players is about £120K for senior players.
Young Gloucester players in their first year on a full contract earn about £40K. This will double within the next few years.
Academy players earn between £15-25K depending on their academy year.
These are average salaries but the star players are on significantly higher amounts, as I show in the next section.
However, clubs must keep their whole budget underneath the agreed salary cap for the league.
Who Are The Highest Paid Gloucester Rugby Players?
While the average salary for players is £120K, the range for middle-ranking players is from £70K to £140K.
The marquee players can earn over £200K. But who are the marquee players?
Marquee players
Gloucester Rugby’s highest-paid player in recent years is winger Jonny May. His contract is reportedly £275,000 per year.
Scrumhalf Joe Simpson’s contract was said to be over £200K in his younger years when he was getting international caps.
There’s no doubt that other clubs in the Premiership have higher paid marquee players. Gloucester has been reluctant with splashing the cash.
Other players in the higher salary range
Given that the salary range for senior players is from £70K to £140K, who else is at the top of this range?
Esportif publishes statistics for which positions earn the most in the Premiership. These are the top six:
- Fly half
- Locks (either 4 or 5)
- Outside centre
- Tighthead prop
- Fullback
- Number eight
The position of flyhalf is the most valued across the Premiership. We can expect Adam Hastings to be near the top of this range.
The highly experienced Billy Twelvetrees can play center and flyhalf and is also on the higher range. Scottish centre Chris Harris will also be on the upper end.
English Premiership Salary Cap
English Premiership clubs are not allowed to exceed an agreed cap on the total salaries for their squad.
Clubs get extra credits for players that they bring through from their academy to a full professional contract.
They also get credits for players who are capped by England.
Gloucester Rugby usually has at least one player in the 23-man matchday squad. Jonny May has been a fixture in the side (barring injury).
How Much Do Chiefs Players Get For Playing For England?
The England squad collectively agreed to a reduction in match fees during the COVID period.
In more usual times, the match fee is about £23K for players who are selected in the 23-man squad for a match.
Players don’t get paid just for being called into camp.
So if you see a promising Gloucester youngster has joined an England training camp, don’t assume that they’re getting an immediate bump in income.
If you want a more detailed review, read our article on the fees that England rugby players earn when playing for their country. It includes detailed comparisons to salaries in other countries.
What about selection for the British And Irish Lions?
The tour that comes around every four years is a good bump to a player’s salary that year. The 2021 tour paid £75K to the squad members.
Two Gloucester players went on the South Africa tour. Chris Harris and Louis Rees-Zammit got the extra wages in their annual income that year.
If the Lions had won the 2021 series in South Africa, the duo would have received a £10,000 bonus. Unfortunately, they came home without the extras!
How Do Gloucester Rugby Afford High Salaries?
You may be wondering if the gate receipts are enough to cover these types of salaries. The answer is that they’re not.
The club shared in a one-off payment to all Premiership clubs in 2018 when they agreed to sell a minority stakeholding to the investment company CVC.
Gloucester Rugby is owned by a businessman who has invested funds into the club. You can read more in our article on who owns Gloucester Rugby.