LONDON (AP) — Former Scotland rugby captain Stuart Hogg has been stripped of a British royal honor after pleading guilty in 2024 to a charge of abusing his then-estranged wife.
The 33-year-old Hogg was named a Member of the British Empire, or MBE, in December 2023 for his services to the sport, but King Charles III directed that it be “cancelled and annulled,” according to the official public record The Gazette published Thursday.
Hogg had admitted to a charge accusing him of shouting and swearing at his then-wife as well as tracking her movements and sending alarming text messages. The offending took place over a five-year period, prosecutors said.
In January 2025, Hogg was sentenced to a “community payback order” — or community service — with one year’s supervision.
Hogg, a fullback, retired from professional rugby in 2023 shortly after reaching 100 appearances for Scotland. He had been named captain in 2020.
He then returned and signed for French club Montpellier. Hogg tore an Achilles tendon last April.
An MBE is “the third highest ranking Order of the British Empire level (excluding a knighthood/damehood), behind CBE and then OBE,” The Gazette explains. “An individual may be appointed an MBE for an outstanding achievement, or service to the community that has had a long-term, significant impact.”
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