​Borders rugby star Stuart Hogg reported to be in talks about making comeback in France

Ex-Glasgow Warriors, Exeter Chiefs and Hawick full-back ​Hogg, 32 later this month, announced his impending retirement from playing in March last year, calling it quits with immediate effect four months later.

The Borderer’s not played since being brought on as a replacement by Exeter during a 47-28 loss away to La Rochelle at the end of April last year but there’s now speculation that he could agree a deal to provide injury cover for French international Anthony Bouthier, currently out of action with a ruptured cruciate ligament.

Those reports come just three months after 100-times-capped Hogg ruled out returning to the pro game during a podcast interview with fellow ex-Scottish international Jim Hamilton, saying: “I think I’ll play again but I don’t think I’ll play professionally.

“I might have a little run-out for Hawick next season and see how that goes.

“Will I play professionally again? Probably not.

“Could I have taken a sabbatical? Maybe I could have but I didn’t want to be in the position of going ‘I’m going to take this period off and maybe come back’. I needed clarity that I am completely out of it, all in or all out.

“I couldn’t face sitting now thinking ‘I’m going to have to continually train to be in a good shape to then come back. I’m going to have to always work on my skills’.

“Could I have gone about it a different way? Potentially, but the decision now is that I am retired and I stand by that. Physically and mentally I wasn’t there.”