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Dan Carter and Honor Dillon have got things set up nicely as they eye a lucrative move to France where the All Blacks star will play for Racing Metro as rugby's richest player.
It's a new world order in rugby's rich list but some things stay the same with All Blacks star Dan Carter still king of the cash.
To mark Rugby World Cup year, American website wealthwrapup.com has turned its sights on the game's highest paid players.
The top 10 earners are dominated by players appearing – or in Carter's case, about to appear - in the French Top 14 club scene.
According to the research Carter is well clear in the No 1 position with his deal at Paris club racing Metro whom he will join after the World Cup providing the bulk of his speculated earnings of $2,153,650.
Matt Giteau, the Australian about to come back into Wallabies contention, is second with $1,507,627 from his Toulon deal.
Toulon, the European champions, have four players in the top 10 with Welsh goalkicking star Leigh Halfpenny, Springboks wing Bryan Habana and South African locking great Bakkies Botha in the mix.
Johnny Sexton, the man who Carter is about to replace at Racing Metro is at No 5 with $1,063,977 as he gets set to head back to the Irish scene with Leinster.
Sam Burgess is the only British-based player in the mix.
The rugby league convert has done nicely with his switch of codes late last year, helping him to $1,076,900 in a deal between the Bath club and English union.
The list is a further signal of the challenges facing New Zealand rugby as the offshore riches continue to tempt the leading Kiwi players. The All Blacks are facing an exodus of talent with players, young and old, looking to cash in after the World Cup winds up in October.
HIGHEST PAID RUGBY PLAYERS (according to wealthwrapup.com)
1 Dan Carter (Racing Metro and New Zealand) $2,153,650
2 Matt Giteau (Toulon and Australia) $1,507,627
3 Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon and Wales) $1,292,252
4 Sam Burgess (Bath and England) $1,076,900
5 Johnny Sexton (Racing Metro and Ireland) $1,063,977
6 Bryan Habana (Toulon and South Africa) $1,020,852
7 Morgan Parra (Clermont and France) $939,012
8 Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse and France) $878,543
9 Bakkies Botha (Toulon and South Africa) $837,759
10 Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro and Wales) $818,378
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/i...gbys-rich-list
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Originally Posted by Exile
