If England win the Grand Slam this year, they will make a lot more than their Irish counterparts would for the same achievement.
According to Gavin Mairs in The Telegraph, the English squad - the highest paid in international rugby - will make a total of €4.1 million if they win the Grand Slam for a second consecutive season under Eddie Jones.
Nearly €1.2 million of that figure is for winning the Grand Slam. The remainder consists of match fees, training fees and image rights. How much each individual player would earn depends on how many games they are involved in. An individual playing in every game for Eddie Jones's side could earn around €180,000. England winning the Championship but not defeating every team would mean the squad sharing a bonus of €717,000.
England's Grand Slam bonus has risen considerably from last year. This is mainly due to an agreement which sees them forgo the receipt of a bonus for their November internationals clean sweep.
How Irish players are paid for the Six Nations differs to England according to the paper. Members of Joe Schmidt's squad do not receive match fees or a win-bonus. They will, however, receive a bonus based on their finishing position in the Six Nations table.
If Ireland win the Grand Slam for the first time in eight years, players will make approximately €74,000 each. That's €106,000 less than an English player would receive for the achievement.
Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE
