Hogg: Retirement due to marriage, the biggest mistake of his rugby career

Stuart Hogg Reveals the Biggest Mistake of His Life: Retirement from Rugby

Former Scotland captain Stuart Hogg has openly shared that his decision to retire from rugby was a desperate attempt to save his marriage, a choice he now considers the “biggest mistake of his life”. Hogg, who ended his career in 2023 at the age of 31, shortly before the World Cup of that same year, resumed playing in 2024 by signing for the French club Montpellier, after a turbulent period away from the sport. In November 2024, the British and Irish Lions player admitted to abusing his wife, Gillian, from whom he is separated. He was sentenced to a five-year non-harassment order and fined for violating bail by repeatedly contacting his ex-partner.

Hogg acknowledges having caused harm to those around him, but has currently managed to re-establish some stability in his life.

“I missed the excitement, the kit, the banter. I missed rugby more than I ever imagined,” Hogg declared.

Stuart Hogg

“I abandoned my rugby career to try and save my marriage. At that moment, I didn’t know who I was. I was submerged in antidepressants. I didn’t know what was happening in my life, if I was making others happy or sad. I used alcohol to escape. I simply existed. The Doddie Aid bike ride from Scotland to Rome changed everything. For the first time since I retired, I felt part of a team again. I went back and told my father: ‘I’ve made the biggest mistake of my life’. “I’m in a better place mentally than I have been in years. I used to think being selfish was a strength, but I took that too far. I hurt people. Now I am learning to be selfless for the right reasons: for my children, my partner, my team. I know I will never be the same Stuart Hogg I was before, but I am okay with that. I have found peace.” Hogg, who won 100 matches with Scotland and participated in two tests with the Lions, underwent Achilles surgery in April and has not yet played for Montpellier this season.