This article reviews current salaries of Western Force players in Super Rugby.
Individual salaries are private contracts that are seldom made public by the Perth franchise.
However, details get leaked to newspapers and other sources. We’ve reviewed the most reputable accounts of Force salaries.
How Do Western Force Players Get Paid?
Before we consider the numbers, let’s take a look at how the players are paid. It’s not just through club wages.
Salaries can be made up of several income streams (not all players benefit from all streams):
- Monthly salary from the franchise
- Brand deals and advertising
- Match fees from Rugby Australia for Wallabies tests
Brand deals and advertising
Brand deals can be worth very different amounts across players. Image rights may be paid by third parties who want to use player photos in their advertising.
This varies from national brands (e.g. sports and retail) to local companies.
If you travel through the home regions of Western Force players, you’ll probably see them in local advertising. Of course, this isn’t going to be for big dollars.
How Have Covid Restrictions Impacted Salaries?
The 2020/21 domestic season was shortened due to Covid restrictions.
Match attendances were also curtailed and the drop in gate receipts hit franchise incomes. TV revenue was also reduced due to fewer matches.
Western Force is privately funded. In other words, they do not receive significant funds from Rugby Australia. They did not take part when the other Australian franchises entered into protracted negotiations with Rugby Australia over Covid-related pay-cuts.
This means that Force players weren’t subject to the significant pay reductions agreed at the other franchises for the 2020/2021 season.
What Is The Average Salary Of A Western Force Player?
Although privately funded, the Western Force complies voluntarily with the Salary Cap imposed on the four other Australian franchises in Super Rugby.
The current cap is A$5.5 million.
With about thirty-six Super Rugby players in the Western Force squad, we could calculate the current average salary as about A$153K. But this is misleading.
Young players on their first international contract earn well below that median. This means that the senior players can earn well above the amount.
How much do Western Force players earn?
The average salary for senior Western Force players is about A$200K per year.
Players who get regular starts with the Wallabies can earn an extra A$130K.
Non-international players with three to five years experience earn from $A80-$A130K.
Players on their first pro contract earn about A$40K.
As I mentioned in an earlier section, the well-known senior players can also garner endorsements and image licensing from third-party brands.
That can provide additional annual earnings from ten to forty thousand dollars.
Who Are The Highest Paid Western Force Players?
We estimate that Wallaby second row Izack Rodda is the highest-paid player at the Western Force.
Rodda left the Waratahs in 2020 when he refused to accept the negotiated pay cut we reviewed in the section on Covid restrictions.
He was one of only three Australian Super Rugby players to take this stance. This was a controversial episode.
Rodda went to France to play in the Top 14 with Lyon (LOU) for one year. He then returned to sign with the Force in 2022.
Rodda’s salary from the Western Force is reportedly worth about A$300K per year.
Some news outlets said that the lock rejected offers of A$1M in France to take this deal with the Force. We find that the suggested wage difference is too big to be believed.
Higher than average salaries
A European sporting agency publishes statistics for which positions earn the most in the England Premiership, the French Top 14, and the URC (clubs from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy, and South Africa).
I haven’t seen a similar list for Super Rugby, but I expect a similar valuation by Australian franchises.
- #1 flyhalf
- #2 fullback
- #3 locks
- #4 tight head prop
- #5 scrumhalf
- #6 centres
- #7 wings
- #8 number eight
- #9 flankers
- #10 loose head prop
- #11 hooker
Nobody will be surprised that the number 10 tends to be the most valued. However, this is based on experienced players with some international experience.
Western Force doesn’t have a senior ten of that kind of caliber. Reesjan Pasitoa still has a few years to go before he hits the high-end salary range.
Jake Strachan is still young but has a few years of experience under his belt. As a fullback, his salary should be heading toward the top A$130K end of mid-range players.
How Much Do Force Players Get For Playing For The Wallabies?
Check out our article on how much Australian rugby players earn.
I’ll summarize here to say that match fees are about $10K and the Wallabies play about 12 times a year.
If you do the maths, that’s a whopping extra $120K for regular players in a 23-man squad.
There are also significant win bonuses on offer.
Other Super Rugby Franchises
Interested in other Australian franchises? Due to the salary cap, the average wages tend to be similar. However, the top earners and their packages are very different.
Check out these articles:
- How much do Brumbies players earn?
- How much do Melbourne Rebels players earn?
- How much do Queensland Reds players earn?
- How much do ASW Waratahs players earn?
New Zealand franchises
And what about the neighbors? Check out these articles: