Rugby Referees Salaries | English Premiership Match Officials Holds Expensive Contracts
Deciding the points to complete the match is never been easy for an official as a single mistake can cost his fame. Moreover, the image of the game will change due to a poor decision. Hence, it’s very crucial for a referee to make intelligent decision with keen insights. What are the salaries of Rugby referees? It is a fact that Rugby referees earn low as compared to the officials of other sports.
| Referees | Fee/Match | Fee/Main Event Match | Yearly Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rookies | $500 | N/A | $20,000 (Contract Based) |
| Females | $750 | $2,000 | $125,000 |
| Professionals | $1,500 | $4,000 | $200,000 |
Referees are the crucial part of the rugby matches and their importance enhanced when it comes to the point of main events. Only the professionals who have a lot of experience can entered the main event to officiate the match and make the decisions of the match. Also, they get extra allowances and bonuses for participating in the big events.
Rugby Referees Salaries Breakdown
Rookies | These are the youngsters who made their debut as the official in the Rugby matches. These are the lowest paid officials as they don’t have a proper contract and their earnings depend only on the match fee of the local tournament. They don’t get any extra allowance and chances to judge the big matches. However, once they get mature and have gained experience from matches, they get the contracts.
Females | Female referees are also the essential part of rugby matches especially of women’s rugby as they have made their debut a few years ago. Sara Cox is one of the top referees and the first female who have joined rugby as a referee. Female referees are paid lower than the men due to the factor of Gender Pay Gap.
Professionals | Professional referees have years of experience and the top referees make a chance to earn more by officiating a match in the main events. Their earnings reaches to $400,000 if they participate in the tournaments like Six Nations Championship, English Premiership Rugby, and French Top 14. Moreover, they get free accommodations and match bonuses which uplift their per match earnings to $5,000.
Highest Paid Rugby Referees
| Referees | Fee/Match | Leagues | Yearly Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Barnes | $1,500 | Premiership Rugby | $200,000 |
| Karl Dickson | $1,500 | Premiership Rugby | $200,000 |
| J. P. Doyle | $1,500 | Premiership Rugby | $200,000 |
| Christophe Berdos | $1,500 | France Top 14 | $200,000 |
| Jerome Garces | $1,500 | France Top 14 | $200,000 |
| Alexandre Ruiz | $1,500 | France Top 14 | $200,000 |
English Premiership Rugby | The referees in this league earn good base salary and contracts as they have a chance to make their way in the world cup by performing good in the championship. They get accommodations and free travel packages when are on the tour to officiate the match. Wayne Barnes is the most famous name of the league as he has officiate the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
France Top 14 Rugby | Another thrilling rugby event provides the players and match officials with the lucrative earnings and contracts. Top referees can make their earnings up to $1,500. They also get sponsorship bonuses along with free accommodation and travel expenses. Jerome Garces belonging to France Top 14 has also officiated the previous Rugby World Cup.
International Rugby Union | The referees who are a part of International Rugby Union earn the highest amount as they get the chance to officiate in the world cup matches. English Wayne Barnes and French Jerome Garces have also officiated the matches in the world cup matches. When a referee become a part of the main event, his earning will reach up to $4,000 per match while the yearly earning reaches up to $400,000 besides the undisclosed sponsorship bonuses and TV market value shares.
That’s all about the salaries details of Rugby officials in the most lucrative rugby leagues and world cup events. If there is any further detail available, we will update them on the site.