Stuart Hogg has revealed he is considering coming out of retirement to play for his hometown club Hawick next season.

The former Scotland captain announced his decision to retire prior to the 2023 World Cup on the basis his injury-ridden body would no longer allow him to reach the high standards that he had set throughout his glittering career.

Related: Stuart Hogg: I was slowest Scotland back and World Cup didn’t excite me

Hogg had previously denied there was any chance of him returning to the play the sport – even at amateur level for the Mansfield Park club at which he burst on to the scene as a teenager and where his father John and brother Graham are still involved  – when interviewed by the Scotsman in August 2023.

However, the 31-year-old, who now works as a TNT Sports pundit, has since seemed to have a change of heart. While talking to former Scottish international Jim Hamilton on The Big Jim Show podcast, the British and Irish Lion was more hesitant when asked if he was “100 per cent retired from rugby”.

Hogg responded by saying: “I think I’ll play (but) I don’t think I’ll play professional.

“I might have a little run-out for Hawick next season and see how that goes.”

Having represented Glasgow Warriors and Exeter Chiefs at club level while winning 100 caps for Scotland in the international arena, Hogg did confirm that his potential return to rugby would not be at the elite level.

He added: “Will I play professionally again? Probably not.

“Could I have taken a sabbatical? Maybe I could have. But I didn’t want to be in the position of going: ‘I’m going to take this period off and maybe come back’. I needed clarity that I am completely out of it. All in or all out. I couldn’t face sitting now thinking: ‘I’m going to have to continually train to be in a good shape to then come back, I’m going to have to always work on my skills’.

“So, do I do that? Or do I just pull the plug completely, and I thought … well … there wouldn’t be a club in a situation to give me a sabbatical and still pay me money.

“Could I have gone about it a different way? Potentially. But the decision now is that I am retired and I stand by that … physically and mentally I wasn’t there.”

Having done some punditry work since stepping away as a player Hogg will no doubt be itching to see Scotland face England in the Calcutta Cup this weekend as Scotland look to get their Six Nations campaign back on track as they attempt to win the competition for the first time in the nation’s history.

Would a Hogg return be a good idea? Let us know on social media or email rugbyworldletters@futurenet.com

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