Stuart Hogg has been stripped of his MBE following a directive from King Charles III to revoke the honor. The former Scotland rugby union captain admitted to a single charge of domestic abuse against his ex-wife, Gillian Smith, spanning five years back in November 2024.
Court proceedings revealed that Hogg confessed to verbally abusing his former spouse, as well as monitoring her activities and sending distressing messages. While he managed to avoid imprisonment, he was assigned a community payback order (CPO) with one year of supervision and was prohibited from contacting Gillian for five years.
Calls for Hogg to forfeit the MBE he received in the 2024 New Year Honours list for his contributions to rugby intensified after his conviction. Scottish First Minister John Swinney supported the move, deeming it reasonable. Despite assurances from SNP’s Commons leader Stephen Flynn, it took over a year for the honor to be rescinded.
Glasgow Women’s Aid expressed concern over the delay in revoking Hogg’s MBE, labeling it as troubling. However, the official announcement of his removal from the honor appeared in The Gazette recently, along with other individuals whose honors were also revoked.
Hogg’s acknowledgment of having no future prospects in Scottish rugby came following his admission. He mentioned retiring from international rugby but expressed a desire to contribute to the current Scotland squad, though he felt disconnected from the rugby community in light of his off-field behavior.
The Six Nations event is scheduled from February 5 to March 14, and supporters of England Rugby can find the latest merchandise at Fanatics. Despite his uncertainties about his rugby future, Hogg believes he could still make a positive impact on the Scotland team if given the opportunity.
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