France’s Top 14 rugby’s wealthy relative has had its somewhat secretive financial arrangements revealed due to the recent debates across the channel into the clubs adherence to payroll regulations.

A forty-five page document relating to a study carried out by the audit firm Nexia S&A provided an inventory of the salaries of the Top 14 players.

The average salary last year for the 520 professional players was €259,000 gross, just over €21,000 per month. That’s five times more than in Pro D2 or 33% higher than that of the Gallagher Premiership.

There are approximately ten players receiving salaries in and around €600,000 per annum including Owen Farrell of Racing 92, Toulouse scrum half Antoine Dupont, La Rochelle’s duo Rochelais Grégory Alldritt and Will Skelton plus Bordeaux’s Matthieu Jalibert.

Away from the mega earners 27% of Top 14 players received less than €60,000 gross per year. The average squad of the Top 14 clubs was composed of fifty-five players, thirty-three of which declare a gross salary of more than €480,000, or €40,000 per month. These are inevitably the stars of the championship and, in the vast majority French internationals players.

As for club budgets the figures below are eye watering if you happen to live on this side of La Manche.

Toulouse 49.3 million Euros

Stade Francais 45 million

Toulon 39.6 million

Lyon 37 million

La Rochelle 35 million

Clermont 34 million

Bordeaux 33 million

Racing 92 32.1 million

Montpellier 30.4 million

Pau 28 million

Bayonne 27 million

Castres 24.7 million

Perpignan 22 million

Vannes 21 million