Methodology
Salary cap figures across NZ professional rugby are not officially published. NZR does not disclose Super Rugby or NPC salary caps, and individual contracts are private. Everything on this site is an editorial estimate stitched together from public sources.
For each contract we record the team, term, contract type, and a three-point cap band (low, midpoint, high) drawn from a tier model. Each contract carries a confidence flag:
- Confirmed - an official source (NZR, team, player) has published the deal or its key terms.
- Estimated - an announcement places the player in a tier without disclosing terms; the band reflects the tier.
- Inferred - terms pieced together from social media, local press, agent commentary, or industry knowledge.
Source URLs are recorded against every contract. When we get something wrong, we update it and note the change. Players, agents, and teams can submit corrections via the tip form.
Tier bands
Bands are NZD per year. Drawn from public reporting, market commentary, and anonymised industry intel. Recalibrated as new information arrives.
| Tier | Type | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
All Black Top Established All Black on NZR central deal. Super Rugby Component capped at $195k (CBA cl 56.3); NZRU Component (uncapped) plus All Blacks Selection Fees of $7,500/week of assembly stack on top. | central | $500,000 | $700,000 | $900,000 |
All Black Squad Squad or recently capped All Black. Super Rugby Component up to $195k (CBA cl 56.3); NZRU Component depends on AB usage; partial-year Selection Fees apply. | central | $350,000 | $450,000 | $600,000 |
NZR Central NZR multi-year central deal for retention or pathway players outside the All Blacks squad. Sits above Super Squad and below AB tiers. | central | $250,000 | $350,000 | $450,000 |
Super Squad Super Rugby Component sits between CBA min $75k (cl 56.5) and max $195k (cl 56.3). Longevity payments (rookie incentive scheme) can push the top end above $195k for established players. | super | $75,000 | $120,000 | $195,000 |
Super Development NZ Rugby Draft Contract for development players. CBA min $50k (cl 60.6). Often dual-contracted with a Provincial Union for NPC. | super | $30,000 | $50,000 | $75,000 |
Wider Training Group Super Rugby Wider Training Group. 12 players per franchise (9 at Highlanders) on training/development terms. Replaces the publicly listed NDC tier from 2026 onwards. | super | $40,000 | $65,000 | $90,000 |
National Development NZR-funded National Development Contract. From 2026 the public dev cohort moved to WTG; NDC remains for individual transitions (e.g. a senior schoolboy on a development deal preceding a full pro contract). | ndc | $60,000 | $85,000 | $110,000 |
NPC Starter Provincial Union Contract starter. CBA min $21k (cl 70.5). Year 4 service adds $5k incentive, Year 5+ adds $7.5k (cl 90). Most NPC starters earn between the floor and ~$50k unless retained at premium. | npc | $21,000 | $40,000 | $65,000 |
NPC Squad Provincial Union Development Contract or sub-floor NPC squad rotation player. Below the $21k Provincial Union Contract minimum; treated as semi-pro. | npc | $15,000 | $22,000 | $30,000 |
Aupiki Top Earner Senior Black Fern with Aupiki contract. Editorial estimate; CBA schedules for women's contracts not yet extracted. | aupiki | $60,000 | $85,000 | $120,000 |
Aupiki Squad Aupiki squad player. Editorial estimate; CBA schedules for women's contracts not yet extracted. | aupiki | $25,000 | $40,000 | $60,000 |
Black Fern Central Black Ferns central NZR deal. Editorial estimate pending extraction of women's schedule from CBA. | central | $100,000 | $140,000 | $200,000 |
Where the data comes from
- NZR and team press releases
- Player and agent social media
- Local and national news outlets (RNZ, Stuff, NZ Herald)
- NPC and Super Rugby squad pages
- NZRPA collective bargaining commentary
- Industry sources, anonymised
Got better intel? Send us a tip.