Stuart Hogg made the move to Montpellier in July 2024
A two-time Six Nations Player of the Year, Stuart Hogg, had been a key figure in Scotland’s resurgence and a talismanic presence at Exeter Chiefs.
He made his Test debut in the 2012 Six Nations against Wales, quickly establishing himself as a key player. Hogg’s talent earned him three selections for the British & Irish Lions (2013, 2017, 2021). Although injury cut short his 2017 tour, he returned in 2021 to earn two Test caps against South Africa.
However, after starring in the Six Nations for Scotland, Hogg’s journey has taken an unexpected and dark turn in recent times after he admitted a domestic abuse charge against his estranged wife.
Express Sport has taken a look at what Hogg is up to now and why he isn’t involved in the Six Nations?
A career defined by brilliance derailed
Hogg’s career was nothing short of spectacular. He was a key figure in Scotland’s resurgence, earning the title of Six Nations Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017. At Exeter Chiefs, he was instrumental in the team’s success, earning numerous accolades and becoming a talisman for both club and country.
However, his career trajectory took an unexpected shift. Although initially planning to retire after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Hogg made an abrupt decision to retire in July 2023 – months before the tournament – citing the physical toll rugby had taken on his body.
The decision incidentally came shortly before the eruption of a personal scandal.
Hogg was sentenced to a community payback order after pleading guilty to abusing his estranged wife
At the centre of a domestic abuse scandal
In February 2024, he was arrested outside his ex-wife’s home on suspicion of causing fear and alarm by acting in a threatening or abusive manner. The case would drag on for months before he pleaded guilty to a charge of domestic abuse in November over a five-year period against his ex-partner.
His actions and behaviour toward his estranged wife, Gillian, had become a matter of public record, leading to a bitter divorce process and an ongoing non-harassment order barring him from contacting her for five years.
Hogg’s behaviour allegedly included controlling actions, such as tracking his wife’s movements through a phone app and sending her hundreds of text messages. Prosecutors described incidents where Hogg would return home intoxicated, belittling Gillian and creating an atmosphere of fear and tension.
The ex-Scotland captain was given a one-year community payback order after admitting the domestic abuse charge.
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Attempts to rebuild professional career
Post-retirement, he began a new career as a rugby pundit with TNT Sports, making his debut alongside the likes of Ugo Monye and Brian O’Driscoll.
Initially welcomed as part of their expert team for the 2023 season’s rugby coverage, Hogg’s time as a pundit was short-lived. By the end of 2023, he had been phased out of TNT’s rugby coverage.
Soon after, he joined Montpellier in the French Top 14, hoping to make a successful return to rugby, but this move hasn’t been as impactful as expected.
Still just 32, Hogg continues his efforts to salvage a career in France that has been disgraced by actions outside of the field. But his legacy—once shaped by trophies and accolades—has since turned sour.