what happened to stuart hogg

Stuart Hogg, the former Scotland rugby captain, has had a very turbulent couple of years on and off the field.

Quick Scoop: What Happened To Stuart Hogg?

1. Rugby comeback and serious injury

After initially retiring from professional rugby in 2023 following 100 caps for Scotland, Hogg made a surprise return and signed for French club Montpellier in the Top 14.

During a match against Perpignan in April 2025, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon after a heavy collision, which required surgery and ruled him out for many months, effectively ending his season and putting his longer‑term playing future in doubt.

He had been reinventing himself at fly‑half and was starting regularly, helping Montpellier climb the league before the injury cut that momentum short.

2. Domestic abuse conviction

Off the field, Hogg pleaded guilty in 2024 to a domestic abuse charge involving his then‑estranged wife, Gillian, covering several years of controlling and abusive behaviour, including shouting, swearing, tracking her movements and sending alarming messages.

In January 2025 he was given a community payback order (community service plus supervision) rather than a jail sentence.

The case painted a grim picture of his private life and led to intense public and media criticism.

3. Stripped of his MBE

Hogg had been appointed MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours (announced December 2023) for services to rugby.

In March 2026, King Charles III formally ordered that his MBE be “cancelled and annulled”, with his name erased from the order’s register, in direct response to the domestic abuse conviction.

This means he no longer holds that royal honour and it has become part of the wider “fall from grace” narrative around him.

4. Current situation and public perception

As of early 2026, Hogg is a disgraced former national captain whose reputation has been heavily damaged by his conviction and the loss of his royal honour, while he also faces recovery and uncertainty over his elite playing career after the Achilles rupture.

Earlier, between retirement and the comeback, he had moved into TV punditry and media work, but the legal issues and public backlash have overshadowed those aspects of his post‑Scotland career.

TL;DR: He came out of retirement to play for Montpellier, badly ruptured his Achilles in 2025, was convicted of domestic abuse against his estranged wife, and in March 2026 was stripped of his MBE by King Charles because of that conviction.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.