Hawick rugby hero Stuart Hogg announces retirement as player

The former Scotland captain, given his 100th cap by national head coach Gregor Townsend earlier this month against Ireland, intends to bow out after this year’s Rugby World Cup, being staged in France in September or October.

Exeter Chiefs full-back Hogg turns 31 in June and he says he fears his body won’t allow him to keep up the standards he sets himself for too much longer, so he intends calling it quits after playing out the rest of this English Gallagher Premiership season with the Devon club before his last international hurrah in the autumn.

The former Hawick player issued a statement this week announcing his intention to quit while he’s ahead, saying: “After Rugby World Cup 2023, my professional rugby journey will end and I will be retiring from the game.

“As a young kid growing up in the Borders, all I wanted to do was to play rugby for Scotland.

“I feel privileged to have represented my country on 100 occasions, played on three British and Irish Lions tours and represented some amazing clubs. I couldn’t have asked for any more.

“I’ve so many people to thank and I will get round to you all.

“First and foremost is my wife Gill, my parents, my brother and my kids.

“I’m so lucky and proud to have such a loving family that have supported me every step of the way.

“Rugby has allowed me to meet some incredible characters, make lifelong friends, travel the world and be part of some unbelievable experiences that I will cherish forever.

“Knowing what lies ahead, I have a real hunger to play the best, most enjoyable rugby of my career, finishing the season strongly with Exeter Chiefs before attacking the opportunity we, as a nation, have in France.

“I don’t feel my body can achieve the standards that I set myself for much longer and I’ve always wanted to finish at the top end of the game.

“I hope I have done you proud – 100 not out, just yet.”

Hogg is lining up a switch of career later in the year but hasn’t revealed what it’s going to be, saying only: “After the tournament, a new career beckons and I will attack it in the same manner as I play the game.”

He began his professional career with Glasgow Warriors in 2010, moving on to Exeter in 2019.

The Borderer made his Scotland debut in 2012 and was named as Scotland captain at the start of 2020, skippering the national team 22 times over the following two years until Jamie Ritchie took over in the autumn.

He has played at two world cups, in England in 2015 and Japan in 2019, and was picked for the last three British and Irish Lions tours to Australia in 2013, New Zealand in 2017 and South Africa in 2021, though he only made his test debut for the multinational side last time out.

An ankle injury forced Hogg to go off 64 minutes into the Scots’ 22-7 loss to Ireland at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium on Sunday, March 12, and it also ruled him out of their last Six Nations match at home to Italy the weekend after.

Further opportunities to add to his tally of a century of caps will be on offer at world cup warm-up matches in July and August and the tournament itself, however, but, barring an unexpected change of heart, he’ll not be able to top the current record of 110 caps picked up by Kelso’s Ross Ford or the 109 amassed by Gala’s Chris Paterson, Scotland’s second-most-capped player of all time, even if Townsend’s team make it beyond a group also home to South Africa, Ireland, Tonga and Romania.

He’s already earned a place in Scotland’s record-books, however, being their top try-scorer to date, with 27.

Edinburgh head coach Mike Blair, a former team-mate of Hogg’s at Glasgow and for Scotland, is among those to have paid tributes since he announced his retirement, saying: “He is a once-in-a-generation talent.

“You could see in his first game for Scotland the confidence he had and the ability he had.

“He was definitely passionate and competitive. He was really keen for Scotland to win and understood what it meant to the country and what it meant to his family.

“He talked a lot about his mum and dad and brother, who helped give him the opportunity to go out and play, and yeah, he is a pretty special player.

“It is clearly something he has not taken lightly, this decision.

“He has had a brilliant career and I would imagine he could play for another few years but maybe he is starting to feel his body a bit.”

Edinburgh hooker Stuart McInally, one of Hogg’s predecessors as Scotland captain, said: “Hoggy’s biggest strength has always been the way he’s played.

“He’s always led by example. I always felt that’s been his strongest leadership quality, the way he’s performed over the years.

“He’s had 99 starts from 100 caps. I don’t know if that will ever happen again. That’s really, really impressive.”

Another ex-Scotland captain, Grant Gilchrist, added: “He’s been a legend of Scottish rugby. The tries he’s scored and the impact he’s had on the team speak for themselves.”