Stuart Hogg secures a new role just nine days into his retirement

Stuart Hogg has secured a new role just nine days after announcing his shock retirement from playing with immediate effect. The Exeter and Scotland full-back had signalled earlier this year in March that he would retire from playing after featuring at the Rugby World Cup in France.

However, that retirement was brought forward with his July 9 revelation that he now won’t be available for Scotland for the 2023 finals. The 31-year-old won’t be idle for long, though, as Tuesday’s rebirth of BT Sport as TNT Sports has coincided with the confirmation that Hogg will be one of the broadcaster’s new rugby pundits for the 2023/24 season.

A statement read: “Orla Chennaoui will join TNT Sports’ rugby coverage and present a selection of live Gallagher Premiership matches in addition to her role as Eurosport’s lead cycling presenter.

"Craig Doyle will continue to host live match coverage and Ugo Monye will take on an extended role that will see him add presenting roles alongside punditry. The voices of rugby on TNT Sports will include commentators Alastair Eykyn and Nick Mullins.

“New rugby pundits include Stuart Hogg, who has recently retired after a stellar career that included 100 international caps and a domestic and European double with the Exeter Chiefs in 2020, and Emily Scarratt, Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014 winner and top point-scorer and Team GB captain at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

"They will join a host of familiar names including Martin Bayfield, Lawrence Dallaglio, Brian O’Driscoll, Sarra Elgan, Austin Healey, Ben Kay and Sam Warburton.”

TNT Sports will present the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Heineken Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE.

In his recent retirement message, the Test centurion Hogg explained: “It is difficult where to start but with great sadness and an enormous amount of pride, I am announcing my immediate retirement from playing rugby.

"I fought with everything I had to make the Rugby World Cup but this time my body has not been able to do the things I wanted and needed it to do.

“We knew this day would come eventually, I just never thought it would be this soon. It’s hard to put into words just how much of an impact the game has had on my life.

"I will be retiring knowing that I have given my body and heart to rugby. I will be forever grateful to this amazing community and cannot wait to begin my journey as a proud supporter of the team.”

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