Toulouse’s salary cap is more than double that of the South African teams playing in the Vodacom URC and Investec Champions Cup.
The newly confirmed salary cap figures for the 2026-27 season prove just how far ahead the French club game has pulled from the rest of the world.
Reigning Top 14 champions Toulouse top the pile with a salary-cap capacity of €13.8-million (R258-million), by far the largest budget in the competition.
By contrast, SA’s URC clubs are capped at R95-million, which excludes the salaries of up to four senior marquee/loyalty players.
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Toulouse have 16 players who represented France in the past season – 15 in fifteens and one in sevens – and the club is rewarded handsomely for it under the LNR’s credit system.
Champions Cup winners Bordeaux Bègles sit second with a cap of €12.72-million (R237-million), boosted by 10 internationals (nine in fifteens).
Toulon complete the top three on €12.18-million (R227-million), having supplied six players to Fabien Galthié’s national squad and one to sevens.
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The gap between Toulouse at the top and the clubs at the bottom of the pile is a staggering €2.7-million (R50-million).
At the other end of the scale, Castres, Perpignan and Vannes all sit on the league-minimum €11.1-million (R207-million), having contributed no players to the France Test squad and one each to sevens.
2026-27 French Top 14 salary cap rankings
1. Toulouse €13,800,000 (R258-million)
2. Bordeaux-Bègles €12,720,000 (R237-million)
3. Toulon €12,180,000 (R227-million)
4. La Rochelle €12,160,000 (R227-million)
5. Pau €12,000,000 (R224-million)
6. Clermont €11,640,000 (R217-million)
7. Lyon €11,640,000 (R217-million)
8. Montpellier €11,460,000 (R214-million)
9. Racing 92 €11,460,000 (R214-million)
10. Stade Français €11,280,000 (R211-million)
11. Bayonne €11,280,000 (R211-million)
12. Castres €11,100,000 (R207-million)
13. Perpignan €11,100,000 (R207-million)
14. Vannes €11,100,000 (R207-million)
Photo: @StadeToulousain/X
The post Toulouse’s war chest dwarfs SA clubs appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Toulouse’s salary cap is more than double that of the South African teams playing in the Vodacom URC and Investec Champions Cup.
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