Rugby player salaries are becoming more and more lucrative with each passing year, and the Rugby World Cup has only enhanced player value.

As is natural procedure with a World Cup, players seek to venture off to pastures new in search of a new challenge and hopefully a nice paycheck.

With South Africa having secured the Webb Ellis Cup yet again, some of their biggest stars have bagged themselves high-paying contracts in Japan Rugby League One.

Wales star Liam Williams recently signed for Kubota Spears and is reportedly going to be taking home £500,000 per season.

Other stars have found new challenges without the enhanced pay-packet. South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard, who kicked them to glory in the World Cup final against New Zealand, took a big pay cut to join Leicester Tigers.

Pollard even turned down offers from Japan in order to try his hand at Premiership rugby, saying that he wanted to come three years ago, but the opportunity wasn’t there, reports the Daily Mail.

South Africa duo Cheslin Kolbe and Faf de Klerk landed moves to the Far East, joining Suntory Sungoliath and Yokohama Canon Eagles respectively.

A plethora of world stars have ventured to Japan in search of building their wealth and securing the future of themselves and their families. Many New Zealand internationals have made the switch; Sam Cane has joined Kolbe at Suntory Sungoliath on a short-term contract, while Richie Mo’unga and Ardie Savea have done the same at different clubs.

These rugby superstars earn huge pay packets, but they are likely to earn even more through endorsements and sponsorship deals.

Dan Biggar makes the list, having swapped Northampton Saints for Toulon in late 2022, reportedly boosting his salary by £200,000.

Bath Rugby’s super signing Finn Russell takes the number-one spot, reportedly taking home more than £1 million per season.

Here are the highest paid players on the planet

• Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – £610,000
• Steven Luatua (Bristol Bears) – £620,000
• Antoine Dupont (Toulouse) – £700,000
• Maro Itoje (Saracens) – £800,000
• Owen Farrell (Saracens) – £800,000
• Dan Biggar (Toulon) – £800,000
• Siya Kolisi (Racing 92) – £850,000
• Faf de Klerk (Yokohama Canon Eagles) – £900,000
• Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – £937,000
• Finn Russell (Bath Rugby) – £1 million-plus

Source: Wales Online