Stuart Hogg will miss the start of 2024/25 Top 14 season – report
Stuart Hogg’s comeback has suffered a setback, with media in France reporting that an injury will see him miss the start of the 2024/25 season with Montpellier. The ex-Scotland captain announced in July that he was coming out of retirement and had signed a medical joker deal to move to the French Top 14.
That announcement was made a year after he brought forward the date of his originally scheduled retirement. Hogg has stated in early 2023 that he would finish as a player at the Rugby World Cup. However, that October sign-off instead took place in July last year when he revealed he was retiring with immediate effect after slowing down on the training field with the Scots.
Upon retirement, Hogg immediately went into TV punditry, signing a deal to work with TNT Sports. However, he eventually came around to the idea of ending his retirement from playing, and it was four weeks ago that Montpellier began pre-season training with Hogg following a difficult 2023/24 campaign where they needed to defeat Grenoble in a play-off to avoid relegation to the Pro D2.
Their new season, though, will now get underway without new signing Hogg, who could be sidelined for a six-week period. A L’Equipe report read: “According to our information, Stuart Hogg will miss the start of the season with Montpellier.
“A summer recruit of the MHR, the Scottish full-back (32 years old, 100 caps), who had ended his career a year ago before the World Cup, was injured in training. After a good recovery – the MHR returned to the field on July 17 – and interesting physical signs, Hogg suffered a torn calf.
“The average time of unavailability for such an injury being around six weeks. Hogg will therefore miss the start of the Top 14 season, and in particular the reception of LOU in the opening match on September 7. The Scot signed with the MHR as a medical joker for Anthony Bouthier, the victim of a ruptured cruciate ligament in a knee at the end of April who is not expected to return to the field before the beginning of 2025.”
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Nah hes a journeyman. Right call
Go to commentsAgreed for the most part. And perhaps Dmac needed a period were he is the 'Hobson's choice' too.
Yes and no, they main concern I had from the situation is Razor didn't really explain why they had developed differing opinions, had he? I've seen too many things happen in life to jump the gun. Fall all we know it was a locked in choice before they found the difference last year and played out this year to see if they were recoverable. I can certainly see where it would be a valid criticism to suggest he spent too much time reviewing his players tripping overseas and not enough work with his team at that time. But things like Tony Brown not even being contacted in the lead up to the naming of the squad are endemic in the union, and for much just as much blame should be laid on someone like Wayne Smith. Some like Mitch would have been aval at the same time too I'd think.
Ultimately I see MacDs time at the Blues much as I saw Ian Fosters time at the Chiefs. Heavily overshadowed by their successors but you could find something good in there if you wanted. Same here. This will play out.
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