France's 10 Richest Rugby Players: 2025 Fortune Ranking
Richest rugby players in France
French rugby has seen the emergence of legends on the field who have turned their sporting exploits into financial success stories. Once an amateur sport, rugby turned professional in the 90s, paving the way for comfortable salaries and lucrative sponsorship contracts. Some iconic players have even built up thriving businesses from their sporting reputation. Between salaries, sponsorship and brilliant reconversions, discover how these stars of the oval ball amassed their wealth in euros.
Top 10 Richest Rugby Players in France in 2025
10. Vincent Clerc - 2 million euros
Vincent Clerc, Stade Toulousain's emblematic winger, left his mark on French rugby history with his spectacular tries. Top try scorer in the European Cup and long-time try record-holder with the XV de France, he enjoyed a successful career (three European Cups and multiple Boucliers de Brennus with Toulouse). His performances earned him a number of lucrative contracts, and he knew how to prepare for the post-Rugby era.
Since retiring in 2018, Clerc has been a TV consultant and has gone into business (notably events and communications). Thanks to his years at the top and his media activitieshis fortune is estimated at 2 000 000 € about. A great success story for this outstanding finisher turned shrewd businessman!
9. Raphaël Ibañez - 2.5 million euros
Former hooker and captain of the French national team, Raphaël Ibañez led Les Bleus to the 1999 World Cup final. A combative player who played for CA Brive and then Stade Français, he also played for London Wasps in England, where he won the European Cup. This experience abroad enabled him to negotiating the end of your career and generate substantial revenues.
After hanging up his boots, Ibañez became a TV consultant and then manager of the French national team - a prestigious and lucrative position. His diversified career, which has taken him from the pitch to TV and management, has earned him around 2 500 000 € of heritage. A richly deserved sum for the man who now orchestrates the destinies of the French national team from the sidelines.
8. Morgan Parra - 3 million euros
Morgan Parra, the indefatigable scrum-half with the golden foot, made his debut for the French national team at the tender age of 19, and quickly became a fan favorite. A mainstay of ASM Clermont Auvergne for over a decade, he won the club's Top 14 title and played in two European Cup finals. Renowned for his precise footwork and leadership, Parra was one of the highest-paid players in the Top 14 at his peak (an annual salary approaching €600,000 is said to have been earned at Clermont).
Thanks to juicy sports contracts and exemplary longevityHe was able to put aside a nice nest egg. Now assistant coach at Stade Français Paris, his transition from player to coach is going smoothly. La Morgan Parra's fortune is estimated at around 3 000 000 €a reflection of a career well spent and wisely managed.
7. Imanol Harinordoquy - 3.5 million euros
A key figure of the 2000s, Imanol Harinordoquy was a third-row center with a fiery temperament. Twice French champion with Biarritz Olympique, he also made his mark with the national team (82 caps) at three World Cups. Nicknamed the leaping BasqueHarinordoquy never hesitated to sacrifice himself for the team, even if it meant playing with a broken jaw in one memorable semi-final! His exploits ensured solid contracts to Biarritz and then to Stade Toulousain at the end of his career.
Born into a farming family, he cleverly invested in livestock and real estate in his native region, capitalizing on his local reputation. Today, he is.., Imanol Harinordoquy has an estimated fortune of 3 500 000 €The fruit of his sporting successes and rural investments. A down-to-earth and fruitful reconversion for this field warrior.
6. Thierry Dusautoir - 4 million euros
Brave captain of the XV de France Grand Slam champions 2010Thierry Dusautoir is best remembered for the 2011 World Cup. That night in the final, the Dark Destroyer scored a try and multiplied his tackles against the All Blackswinning the title of world's best player 2011. At club level, this tireless third row enjoyed glory with Stade Toulousain (three Brennus Shields, one European Cup).
Although he has never chased advertising contracts, Dusautoir has been able to rely on a substantial club salary as an executive in Toulouse for many years. After retiring from sport, he turned to business consulting and remains a respected ambassador for rugby. His assets are estimated at around 4 000 000 €. A figure worthy of this discreet champion who has always emphasized effort and humility, naturally transforming his sporting success into financial comfort.
5. Antoine Dupont - 5 million euros
A veritable phenomenon in today's rugby world, Antoine Dupont has racked up a string of titles and superlatives. Best player in the world in 2021, Top 14 and European champion with Toulouse, captain of the French team that won the 2022 Grand Slam... everything seems to be going well for this young scrum-half from the Gers. Nicknamed the little chef for his ability to do everything on the pitch, he has become the face of modern French rugby. This notoriety opened doors for him far beyond the pitch: Dupont multiplied his commercial partnerships (equipment manufacturers, luxury watches, TV commercials) and earned one of the highest salaries in the Top 14 (approx. 800,000 per year at Stade Toulousain).
At just 28, he already has an estimated fortune of 5 000 000 €. And that's just for starters: with the 2023 World Cup being played on home soil and international opportunities opening up, Antoine Dupont could well climb the rankings even higher in the years to come. The golden future of French rugby is assured - and lucrative!
4. Sébastien Chabal - 6.5 million euros
A media icon if ever there was one, Sébastien Chabal has transcended rugby status to become a veritable celebrity in France. With his long mane and beard of cavemanThe powerful third row won over the public at the 2007 World Cup, becoming the face of French rugby. On the field, Chabal has excelled at club level (English champion with Sale in 2006) and was even at one time the world's highest-paid player (€1,000,000 a year at Racing Metro in 2010). Above all, he has been able to monetize his image: appearances in memorable commercials, sponsorship contracts (from yoghurt brands to children's toys bearing his likeness), you name it!
Once his career was over in 2014, he became a dynamic entrepreneur. Chabal launched his rugby clothing brand Ruckfieldopened restaurants and regularly appears as a TV consultant. These various sources of income have enabled him to amass around 6 500 000 € personal fortune. Who would have thought that"The Cave Man would turn his destructive tackles into tangible gold? A French-style success story for this colorful character.
3. Frédéric Michalak - 8 million euros
An idol of French rugby in the early 2000s, Frédéric Michalak enjoyed a prolific international career as a teenager. At the age of 18, this gifted fly-half was already splashing the Top 14 with his talent for Stade Toulousain, with whom he won three European Cups. A player with a flamboyant style, Michalak also exported his skills to South Africa (with the Sharks) before returning to shine at Toulon, where he added three more European Cups to his trophy cabinet.
On the strength of this busy career, he is one of France's most successful rugby players. But Fred didn't rest on his laurels: endowed with an entrepreneurial soul, he invested wisely while he was still playing. Restaurants, gyms, nightclubs... then, once he'd hung up his boots, he co-founded a sports events company and supported several innovative sports-related startups. Today, his exemplary reconversion has earned him an estimated fortune of 8 000 000 €. Frédéric Michalak proves that you can be a wizard of the oval ball and an ace of personal finance, converting his drops and penalties into winning investments.
2. Franck Mesnel - 20 million euros
Franck Mesnel is undoubtedly the perfect example of successful reconversion. A center for Racing Club de France in the 1980s, he was part of the famous Show-Bizz who played the third half with panache and wore a pink bow tie on the pitch. Three-time French champion and 1987 World Cup finalist, Mesnel left his mark on his era with his elegance of play... and style! In 1987, with a few teammates, he co-founded Eden Parka clothing brand inspired by the world of rugby chic. What started out as a joke (the pink bow tie in the final) has turned into a men's ready-to-wear empire.
Eden Park is an international success story, with hundreds of points of sale and annual sales in the tens of millions of euros. Thanks to this flourishing entrepreneurial venture, Franck Mesnel has amassed a fortune estimated at 20 000 000 €. He remains involved in his brand and in rugby (occasional consultant, support for the organization of the 2023 World Cup). From the pitch to the boardroom, this rugby dandy has proved that the values of sport - daring, team spirit - can lead to the pinnacle of the business world.
1. Serge Blanco - 40 million euros
Nicknamed the Pele of rugbySerge Blanco is richest French rugby player to date. A legendary back-rower for the French national team in the 1980s, he racked up 93 caps, won 6 Five Nations tournaments (including two Grand Slams) and became an idol at his long-time club Biarritz. But in his day, rugby wasn't yet paying fortunes, so Blanco prepared brilliantly for his post-career. A visionary, he went into business as soon as he retired from rugby in 1992. He gave his name to a rugby video game, created a men's clothing line Serge Blanco - Fifteenand above all invested in the hotel business.
The former champion owns several successful hotels and thalassotherapy centers on the Basque coast. At the same time, he has held influential positions (president of Biarritz Olympique, member of the FFR board of directors), which have broadened his business network. Today, the Serge Blanco's fortune is estimated at 40 000 000 €a colossal figure for a rugby player. He dominates this ranking thanks to his entrepreneurial spirit and his ability to transform his sporting fame into an economic empire. Serge Blanco is a perfect example of how a champion can succeed in his professional life. after rugby and become a multimillionaire, while continuing to serve his beloved sport.
Conclusion
The careers of these rugby players show that success is not limited to the field of honor. From the stadium to the boardroom, they have capitalized on their talent, image and opportunities to build veritable financial empires. While rugby's salaries don't match those of soccer, these ten French players prove that with hard work, you can win. talentthe determination and a good business sense, the oval ball can pay off in spades.
The legends of the 1980s and 90s (Blanco, Mesnel) had to reinvent themselves as entrepreneurs to amass fortunes, while the current generation (Dupont et al.) is benefiting from a professional rugby industry in full media swing. The passion for the gameThe combination of these successes, together with wise management of their careers and image, has enabled these champions to secure their financial future. Each, in his or her own way, has gone from converted trials to well-placed euros.
By inspiring future generations, these millionaire rugby players show that it is possible to success on all fronts. No doubt the next generation of French rugby players, ambitious both on and off the pitch, will be looking to emulate these models of success. Who will be the next to enter this ranking of the fortunes of French rugby? Time will tell, but the stories of these 10 champions are already a source of inspiration for all lovers of sport and entrepreneurship.
FAQ - Richest French rugby players
1. Who is the richest French rugby player?
These are Serge Blancowith an estimated fortune of around 40 million eurosThis puts him well ahead of other French rugby players in terms of wealth.
2. How did these players accumulate their fortunes?
These rugby players have built their wealth on a combination of high salaries in professional rugby, from sponsoring agreements and advertising, as well as successful reconversions. Many have launched businesses (fashion, catering, events...) or invested in growth sectors, transforming their sporting success into long-term financial success.
3. Do rugby players' fortunes evolve with their careers?
Yes, a rugby player's fortune is not fixed and evolves over time. At the start of a career, income is modest, then increases with performance, caps and notoriety (giving access to better contracts). After retirement, some continue to build up their wealth through media or entrepreneurial activities. Conversely, a premature end to a career or poor management can limit the growth of personal wealth.
4. Does rugby offer as many financial opportunities as soccer or tennis?
No, rugby generates less income overall than soccer or tennis in terms of salaries and prize money. However, over the years, the French Top 14 has become one of the richest leagues in the rugby world, offering top players salaries in excess of a million euros a year. And more, rugby stars can profit from their image via sponsors and the media. So, without reaching the financial heights of soccer, a great rugby player can still become a millionaire and live comfortably thanks to his sport.
5. What are the criteria for inclusion in this ranking of the richest rugby players?
This classification is based on the estimated wealth of each player, i.e. all financial assets and accumulated wealth. It takes into account salaries earned at club and international level, bonuses, advertising sponsorship income, as well as off-field earnings (investments, businesses, real estate, etc.). It's not just a question of annual salary, but of the overall value of assets. The ten players listed here are those whose estimated total wealth is the highest among French rugby players, hence the presence of retired legends who have built up their earnings over time, as well as stars who are still active.
