The following table compares annual insurance quotes for a 32 year old amateur rugby player across the main online insurance companies offering rugby specific insurance.
Some of the policies have the option of adding on cover for playing abroad as well at an additional cost and cover for loss of income can also be purchased on a sliding scale with some of the companies.
| Insurance Company | Min Price GBP (Annual) | Max Price GBP (Annual) | Loss of income | Comment |
| Sportsinsurance4u | 548.52 | 1404 | No | Most comprehensive but still no cover for loss of income. |
| Sports Cover Direct | 60.13 | 442.79 | Yes | Select up to 75% of take home pay for loss of income. |
| Insure4sport | 60.74 | 143.09 | No | Various levels for different features and very transparent throughout. |
| Protectivity Insurance | 60.13 | 442.79 | Yes | Self select loss of income cover on a sliding scale. |
| RFU via Howden | Free | Free | No | Only for catastrophic injuries. |
As you can see, the companies are well matched on price with Sports Cover Direct, Insure4sport and Protectivity Insurance all coming in at around the 60 pounds mark for their most basic rugby insurance policy.
The element that jumps the price up considerably is whether ‘loss of income’ is included or not. To be clear, the 60 pound insurance quotes do not include loss of income. I deselected this option to see what the lowest price I could get was from each company.
To get cover for loss of income you can literally slide a slider graphic to the level of cover you require which typically tops out at a maximum limit of 1,000 pounds per month.
The highest quote was from Sport Insurance4u and as you’ll see below this is simply because of the range of coverage on offer although it still does not cover loss of income.
My top pick would be Insure4sports policy with loss of income included at a price of 142.09 for the annual policy.
Let’s take a closer look at the companies involved:
Sportsinsurance4u.com
Pros: Strong reputation, physiotherapy included.
Cons: Highest priced option, no option for loss of income.
Their clearly laid out table makes it easy to see the benefits on offer and it is comforting to see that physiotherapy is covered as well, as this is often excluded. Physiotherapy is a crucial and potentially expensive part of the recovery process and an option I would definitely consider.
Sportinsurance4u are backed by General and Medical healthcare which is a good sign as they are well established in this field which gives a strong level of confidence that they will be able to follow through on their promises/policies.
Here is the level and range of cover they offer in the graphic which you find during the booking process:
Sports Cover Direct
Pros: sliding scale for income protection available, reliable reputation, low price
Cons: If you suffered permanent disablement the maximum amount you can get is 30,000 GBP. I’m not sure how far this is going to go in converting your house, and car into suitable facilities.
Underwritten by AXA signaling security in any policy bought from them. Sports Cover Direct’s website is one of the easiest to navigate and offers easy customisation of your policy via a sliding graphic to determine your level of cover of income protection.
This is really helpful if you are budget minded and have a certain figure in mind.
The graphic below outlines the policy coverage and as you’ll see their are much fewer item on the list hence the much lower price as compared to sportsinsurance4u.
You might be keen to find out: What insurance do rugby players in the UK get automatically?
Insure4sport.com
Pros: A nice sliding scale feature to fit the policy around your needs. Dental, physiotherapy included.
Cons: I am not convinced that a rugby insurance policy needs coverage for ‘equipment’. This seems to be an unnecessary feature that will keep the cost of the policy greater than perhaps need be. That said, it is competitively priced and has a series of positive reviews online.
Backed by Ripe Insurance, Insure4sport aims are clear: “Our ethos is all about making insurance easy-to-buy, simple-to-understand, jargon-free and excellent value.”
Getting a quote from their website was indeed very painless and, ‘yes’, it was simple to understand so they are certainly getting something right.
There offerings are in line with the market and look to include the basics you would expect.
You might have also wondered if you actually need insurance or not, if so then read: Do you even need insurance to play rugby?
Protectivity.com
Pros: Competitively priced, loss of income cover available, search and rescue cover included. I have seen players need a helicopter to have them flown directly from the pitch before now.
Cons: Level of cover for physiotherapy appears low given how much it can cost to have private sessions as to dental payouts. That said the price is right for anyone looking to get coverage above the basics that the RFU offer.
Underwritten by the established and popular insurance company AXA, Protectivity, offer a range of insurance services and allow you to cover loss of earnings on a sliding scale up to a maximum of 1000GBP per week.
Similarly to the other sports insurers, sports are grouped together in levels of risk. Rugby is in group 7 which means you get cover for all sports in the same group and below, effectively covering you for a whole host of others sports.
Here’s the level of insurance offered below:
Which Sports Insurance Policy Is Best For Rugby?
The best sports insurance policy for rugby is the one that meets your needs most closely and remains within budget. So, first figure out if you want cover for loss of income as this will be one of the main price determiners and then compare policies on that basis alongside your other personal requirements.
Personally, I also like to see physiotherapy, and dental fees covered and I would also feel 30,000 GBP would not be a sufficient figure to receive for permanent disablement.
That said, I would then have to weight this up with the likelihood of needing to make that claim and the increase in the price of the policy to get that number increased.
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