Kurtley Beale is reportedly set to sign a record two-year deal worth NZ$3 million with the London Wasps, according to the Daily Mail.
Such a deal is unlikely to be matched by the Australian Rugby Union even if Beale enters into a flexible deal which allows him to play in Japan.
It would make the Waratahs and Wallabies second five-eighth the highest-paid player in the English premiership, and the equal-highest paid Australian abroad along with Matt Giteau at Toulon.
Crucially, the 27-year-old would still be able to play for the Wallabies given he has now played 60 tests for Australia.
EXPANSION INTO USA
English Premiership rugby clubs have reached a three-year agreement with NBC Sports for coverage of matches in the United States as they bid to gain a wider audience in the country.
The partnership kicks off with the first Premiership match on US soil, featuring champions Saracens and London Irish at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey this weekend.
The initial contract with NBC begins at the start of the 2016-17 season in September.
“This new agreement with NBC Sports Group is an historic milestone for us. It takes the Aviva Premiership Rugby brand to a bigger audience than we have ever had in the US,” Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty said.
The Saracens v London Irish game will be the first English Premiership rugby match to be played overseas.