Stuart Hogg to start for Montpellier on return to rugby this weekend

The 32-year-old retired from professional rugby in July 2023, in the lead-up to the 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 30 April 2023. He is joined in the Montpellier line-up by fellow debutant Billy Vunipola, the England number eight, who left Saracens at the end of last season after signing a two-year deal in the south of France.

Hogg, who was overtaken as Scotland’s record try scorer by Duhan van der Merwe last month, is due to stand trial in Jedburgh on Tuesday (10 September) as he faces domestic abuse charges relating to his estranged wife Gillian.