England players wages revealed with £460k-a-season Marcus Smith the fourth highest earner

RUCK’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations content 

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Observably, the remuneration landscape for England's elite has undergone a shift in the past couple of years.

The salary ceiling within the Gallagher Premiership has undergone a downward revision, descending from a foundational threshold of £6.4m in the 2020/21 season to £5m in 2021/22 and the subsequent two campaigns. Notably, the allowance for marquee players, whose compensations transcend the cap, has dwindled from two to one.

Consequently, a notable exodus of high-earning English luminaries to foreign shores has materialized, exemplified by the departures of Courtney Lawes, Owen Farrell, and a cadre of others.

This phenomenon has prompted the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to contemplate the implementation of central contracts, aimed at deterring the migration of England's star players overseas.

Curry became the youngest player to start an international for England in 90 years when he made his senior debut five days before his 19th birthday in Argentina on the 2017 summer tour.

Tom and Ben both studied at Oundle School – where the master in charge of rugby was their uncle and former England international John Olver.

The Sale Sharks flanker had a breakthrough season in 2016/17 and made his Twickenham bow in an uncapped game against the Barbarians in May 2017, after twin brother Ben had withdrawn because of a back spasm. The following month Tom appeared in the first Test against Argentina in San Juan - only Jonny Wilkinson has been a younger Test debutant for England.

He started every game of the 2019 Six Nations, scoring tries against Wales and Scotland and was part of the England squad that reached the 2019 Rugby World Cup final. His performances across that year saw him nominated for the World Rugby player of the year. 

He's missed the 2024 Six Nations after undergoing serious hip surgery.

 Smith's rapid rise shows no signs of slowing down – it took barely a year for him to go from captaining Brighton College in an unbeaten season to involvement in the senior England squad.

Marcus became the second-youngest Premiership debutant in history, behind George Ford, when making his Harlequins bow against London Irish aged 18 years and 200 days in September 2017. He was named as an apprentice in the England party for the Old Mutual Wealth series that autumn and continued in that role during the 2018 Six Nations.

He made his Test debut in 2021 against the USA and contributed 13 points, including a try, to their 43-19 victory. In 2021 he was called up to the British & Irish Lions squad and kicked all seven conversions in their game against the Stormers.

Smith featured in Steve Borthwick’s squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, playing at both fly-half and fullback. Recently, he was named in the 36-player squad for the Guinness Men’s Six Nations 2024.

One of the most dynamic props in England, Bristol-born Genge made his debut for his country as a replacement in a 27-13 win over Wales at Twickenham Stadium in 2016.

Ellis was included in the squad for England’s 2016 touring party to Australia and won the 2016/17 Land Rover Discovery of the Year award. A former No 8, the ex-Old Redcliffians’ player was educated at John Cabot City Technology College and led Hartpury College to two AASE Championship titles.

Ellis represented England U17, U18 and U19 before featuring in eight matches for the U20 side in 2015, including the World Rugby Championship final against New Zealand. Ellis was a regular member of England squads under Eddie Jones and was part of the squad that reached the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.

Four years later, Ellis featured Steve Borthwick’s squad for the 2023 edition of the tournament. He was recently named in Borthwick’s squad for the Guinness Men’s Six Nations 2024.

Oldham-born Ford, who has won 77 caps for his country, put pen to paper on a three-year deal with the Sharks in 2022. The salary is reportedly upwards of £600,000 per season.

The Sharks Director of Rugby hailed the move as ‘massive’ – and CEO Sid Sutton said it demonstrates the ambition of everyone at Carrington to take the club to the very top.

It has been a long journey from Saddleworth Rangers where Ford was first involved in rugby league at the age of four.

He moved on to Wigan Warriors and Bradford Bulls and was later a contemporary of Owen Farrell at St George’s School, Harpenden. He became the youngest player to make his professional debut in England at 16 years and 237 and was crowned the World Rugby Young Player of the Year in 2011.

Ford was included in the England Senior Elite Player Squad for the first time in January 2014 and his first Test appearance came off the bench for Owen Farrell in the final minutes of England’s 29-18 victory over Wales at Twickenham in March 2014.

He was part of the England squads that won the 2016 and 2017 Six Nations and started in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final at fly half. Another World Cup selection in 2023 saw Ford feature in the squad that reached the semi-final of the tournament. He was recently named in Steve Borthwick’s squad ahead of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations 2024.

England's Maro Itoje has won an impressive five Premiership titles and three European titles with his club Saracens - so maybe he's worth his salary of £800,000.

Mind you, that's what his former teammate Owen Farrell was paid by the club before his money-spinning move to France, so there's always the chance of even bigger earnings in the future.

A Saracens academy product, Maro Itoje was a new member of the England squad for the 2016 Six Nations and has since gone on to establish himself as a regular starter.

In 2014, Maro captained England U20 to victory at the Junior World Championship final. Two years later he made his debut against Italy as part of a remarkable run which saw him on the winning side in 26 out of 27 games for club and country.

Maro made three Test appearances for the British & Irish Lions against New Zealand in 2017 and was part of the squad that reached the 2019 Rugby World Cup final. Born to Nigerian parents, he was schooled at St George’s, Harpenden, the same school as Owen Farrell and George Ford. His cousin is Bath front row and fellow England squad member Beno Obano.

A mainstay in England squads over the past years, Itoje recently featured in England’s 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign before retaining his place in Steve Borthwick’s squad ahead of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations 2024.

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