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French media reports have revealed the new salary of former Scotland captain Stuart Hogg at cash-rich Top 14 outfit Montpellier.
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Hogg is set to officially sign with MHR in the coming days; marking his return to rugby after announcing his retirement last year. The 32-year-old left the sport last summer ahead of the Rugby World Cup but is now ready for a comeback in France following a turbulent year that saw him in the headlines in the UK.
His new side came perilously close to dropping into the ProD2 – French rugby’s second flight – before winning a play-off against Top 14 hopefuls Grenoble by the finest of margins.
Local media in France reports suggest that Hogg will be taking a significant pay cut compared to his previous earnings. While he was reportedly earning around £580,000 annually with the Exeter Chiefs, his new contract with Montpellier is expected to be worth around £350,000 per season.
This represents a reduction of nearly a quarter of a million pounds, even if by rugby union terms it’s still a very decent salary; not least given his age, injury profile and the off-field dramas that he has found himself embroiled in.
The move to Montpellier comes after a year filled with off-field dramas for Hogg.
In November he publicly announced his relationship with a new girlfriend just days after his wife gave birth to their fourth child. Three months later Hogg had a very public brush with the law when he was arrested and charged with causing fear and alarm by acting in a threatening or abusive manner towards his wife. He has since spent time in rehab and has appeared in court relating to the matter, denying a charge of stalking against his former partner.
The former British & Irish Lions fullback is now looking to revive his rugby career in France with Bernard Laporte’s Montpellier. Club chairman Mohed Altrad confirmed the move earlier this month, although the official announcement is still pending. His two-year contract with Montpellier is expected to begin in July.
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The former Scotland skipper first dropped the hint that he was considering coming out of retirement when he said that he would consider a run-out with home town Hawick in the Border League, but is now doing a full U-turn on the matter.
“I think I’ll play [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. I’m really enjoying my new life (as a pundit for TNT Sports).
“I still get the match-day buzz – the build-up to the game, the warm-up and stuff. I used to love it, and I’ve had that forever. Will I play professionally again? Probably not,” said Hogg at the time.
Luckily for him all of those articles about him were in English and the French refuse to acknowledge other languages.
His (ex?) wife will be getting half of it anyways? After the cheeky tax man gets his half, first.