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French club aim to make Beauden Barrett highest paid player of all time - report

March 9, 2018

Beauden Barrett could become the highest paid rugby player in the world, an Australian report is claiming.

An unnamed French club will bid to make All Blacks playmaker Beauden Barrett the highest paid player in the history of rugby, according a report from the Daily Telegraph.

Barrett, 26, is widely regarded as one of the best players in the game today, picking up back-to-back World Rugby Player of the Year titles.

In a move that would turn the world game on its head, a Top 14 club is offering Barrett a three-year deal worth a whopping $10m. 

The move would more than triple Barrett's believed current salary of $1m per season with New Zealand Rugby.

When contacted by the Daily Telegraph, Barrett's agent Warren Alcock refused to acknowledge any prospective deal to send the superstar to Europe.

"We couldn't make any comment on that," he said.

1 NEWS' Guy Heveldt outlined the scary proposition the game’s governing body in New Zealand is facing when he appeared on TVNZ 1's Breakfast. 

"I've got no idea if there’s any truth to it – but it would not surprise me," he said.

"The money in French rugby is ludicrous."

Losing Barrett would prove to be a monumental turning point for professional rugby in New Zealand, with one of the highest paid All Blacks offered the chance to massivly increase his current earning power.

"It's getting to the stage now where New Zealand is facing quite a scary moment in terms of retaining their top level players," Heveldt said. 

"When you’re getting offered $10m, it’s hard to turn down."

"New Zealand Rugby simply can't afford that. It's a ludicrous amount of money, but it’s quite a scary proposition for New Zealand Rugby."

Japanese fullback Ayumu Goromaru is currently World Rugby's most lucrative earner, bringing home a cool $2.44m per season plus add-ons with French club Toulon, while the highest paid Kiwi player is Dan Carter, pocketing $2.44m with Racing Metro.

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