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Unretired Stuart Hogg set to play his first match in 17 months
By PA
Former Scotland captain Stuart Hogg will play his first competitive match in 17 months after being selected to start for Montpellier in their Top 14 campaign opener at home to Lyon on Saturday. The 32-year-old retired from professional rugby in July 2023 in the lead-up to the Rugby World Cup in France, reasoning that “my body has not been able to do the things I wanted and needed it to do”.
However, after a tumultuous year out of the game in which he was plagued by off-field issues including being arrested for alleged domestic abuse, it was announced in July that Hogg would be returning to top-level rugby after signing for Montpellier on a two-year contract.
Despite being troubled by a calf issue recently, the full-back – who won the last of his 100 caps for Scotland in March last year – has been selected to start in the number 15 jersey for his new club this weekend.
It will be the experienced back’s first outing since coming on as a substitute for previous club Exeter Chiefs in their Champions Cup semi-final against La Rochelle on April 30, 2023.
Hogg is due to stand trial in Jedburgh on Tuesday, September 10, as he faces domestic abuse charges relating to his estranged wife Gillian.
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Latest Comments
I think this debate is avoiding the elephant in the room. Money. According to the URC chief executive Martin Anayi, the inclusion of SA teams has doubled the income of the URC. There is no doubt that the SA teams benefit from the URC but so do the other countries' teams. Perhaps it doesn't affect a club like Leinster but the less well off clubs benefit hugely from South African games' TV income. I don't think SA continued inclusion in the URC is a slam dunk. They don't hold all the cards by a long way - but they do have an ace in the hole. The Ace of Diamonds.
Go to commentsDon't think you've watched enough. I'll take him over anything I's seen so far. But let's see how the future pans out. I'm quietly confident we have a row of 10's lined uo who would each start in many really good teams.
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