Former Scotland rugby captain Stuart Hogg has been stripped of his MBE, with King Charles III ordering the honour to be officially “cancelled and annulled”. The disgraced full-back was awarded the MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours list for services to rugby, but his conviction for domestic abuse has led to its revocation.
In November 2024, Hogg pleaded guilty to a single charge of domestic abuse against his ex-wife Gillian over a five-year period. The court heard he shouted and swore at his former partner, tracked her movements, and sent alarming and distressing messages. He was sentenced to a community payback order with one year of supervision and banned from approaching or contacting Gillian for five years.
The revocation follows widespread calls for Hogg to lose the honour, including from Scottish First Minister John Swinney, who described such calls as “reasonable and understandable”. An official notice published in The Gazette on Thursday confirmed the King’s directive to cancel and annul the appointment, erasing Hogg’s name from the Register of the Order.
Hogg, who previously played for Montpellier, admitted in a recent interview that there is “no chance that Scottish rugby wants anything to do with me” following his off-field actions. Despite believing he could still contribute to the Scotland team, he acknowledged he has had no communication from Scottish rugby officials and doubts that will change.
