Montpellier has confirmed the signing of Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg, marking his return to rugby while he awaits the outcome of a domestic abuse trial, a year after retiring from the sport.
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The French Top 14 club also announced the signings of England number eight Billy Vunipola and Georgia prop Nika Abuladze.
Vunipola has secured a two-year contract following his 11-year tenure with Saracens, and Abuladze has signed a three-year deal after leaving Exeter Chiefs. However, the club has not disclosed the length of Hogg’s contract.
Hogg arrested again:
confirmed that the 32-year-old was detained at a property in Hawick on Tuesday afternoon, July 2, according to the Daily Record. He is set to appear at Jedburgh Sheriff Court today, July 3.
Hogg previously appeared at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, where he pleaded not guilty to charges of acting abusively towards the mother of his four children. He also denied accusations of causing fear and alarm during a disturbance in February and failing to comply with bail conditions set upon his release from police custody.
In court, Hogg was accompanied by his parents and was granted bail with specific conditions, including avoiding contact with his estranged wife and refraining from entering her home in the East Boonraw area of Hawick.
Stuart Hogg, who remains Scotland’s all-time leading try scorer and was awarded an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours List for his contributions to rugby union, is scheduled to return to court on July 15 for an intermediate hearing ahead of his trial on July 30.
Montpellier salary:
Reports indicate that Hogg will take a pay cut of nearly a quarter of a million pounds to join Montpellier compared to his previous club.
While he earned an estimated £580,000 annually with Exeter Chiefs, sources in France suggest his salary with Montpellier will be £350,000 per season.
What has Hogg done since retiring?
PUNDITRY:
The Scotland legend revealed he wasn’t too keen on coaching, but would remain in the game as a pundit for TNT Sport after making his debut on BBC during the 2023 Six Nations.
However, he has been missing from the channels coverage of European Rugby and the Gallagher Premiership in recent weeks and months.
A spokesperson for the television company commented, “It would not be appropriate for us to offer comment at this juncture.”
Earlier this year, reports circulated widely regarding the arrest of the former Scotland rugby captain at the residence of his estranged wife, allegedly for incidents of threatening or abusive behaviour.
A representative from Police Scotland stated that a detailed report outlining any alleged offenses will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.
RESTAURANT OWNER:
He is the co-owner of steak house Finsbay Flatiron in Glasgow.
The focus for Finsbay Flatiron is steak, specialising in 8oz flat irons (as the name suggests) and steaks from £8 on weekdays and £10 on weekends, as well as sides like mac and cheese and triple cooked chips.
KNITWEAR:
Away from rugby, Hogg has a number of passions. In 2018, he linked up with Scottish business Johnstons of Elgin, maker of cashmere knitwear and fine woollens, to bring out a range of his own jumpers, zips and hoodies. It is where his dad John worked for many years, and the company is based in his hometown Hawick. “I’m passionate about wearing local garments and it’s great to have an opportunity to have my own range.”
HORSE RACING:
He is also a big horseracing fan, having once revealed his sporting hero is AP McCoy, who was champion jockey for a record 20 consecutive times. “My passion for horses has endured, though, and when you think of horse racing you think of AP McCoy,” he once told the BBC. “I just loved AP, he was the only jockey who always wore the same colours, the green and yellow stripes with the white hat. It soon became apparent that was AP McCoy, and he was the big dog.”
DISTILLERY:
He’s a director of a distillery named Maiden Batch.
Caulker’s is a collaborative effort between five Glasgow men, two of whom happen to be British Lions and Scotland rugby internationals, Hogg and Alastair Kellock. The bottle is signed by all five.
Other rugby players now making it big in business after smart investments
With the time in elite sport forever shortening, rugby players would be smart to look to the future and invest in businesses too, like these current and ex-pros…
When they’re not smashing each other on the pitch, rugby players with one eye on the future could do worse than taking steps into the world of business.
If they’re lucky, professionals might enjoy careers lasting about 15 years in the sport – and taking up a job as a coach or media pundit after retirement isn’t for everyone.
No sector has been left unturned by players from across all levels of the game in their investments as they seek to set themselves up for life and regain focus after hanging up their boots.
Here’s some of the most prominent rugby players to have made waves in business.
Jack Nowell
The England and Exeter Chiefs winger is the co-owner of The Swordfish Inn back in his hometown of Cornwall.
Sitting on the harbourfront, the pub has been a favourite of local fishermen, artists and visitors alike for as long as anyone cares to remember and is well-known for its rugged charm and atmosphere.
He is also a director of MUSTARD Clothing.
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