Only in the fullness of time will we truly appreciate the outstanding career of Stuart Hogg, and what he brought to the game.
From the very early days when, as a precocious 16 year old, he ran rings around the opposition when first turning out for Hawick YM at Berwick sevens, to playing for Hawick in the final of the Jed Sevens, when he threw an outrageous dummy against Watsonians, before slipping the ball to brother Graham to go in under the posts to seal the tie.
We have watched with interest as his fledgling career as a professional rugby player, grew, developed and ultimately flourished firstly at Scotstoun, Glasgow then finally on the very biggest of stages across the world.
Following Scotland honours through the age grades, he announced himself on the senior representative scene with a wonderful solo try as Scotland A crushed England Saxons 35-0 at Netherdale in 2012……in front of a delighted Border crowd.
We knew then it was only a matter of time before he won his first full international cap, and that came one week later in Cardiff against Wales, when Stuart was introduced off the bench, and it was then the rugby world truly sat up and took note.
Fast forward 11 years, and Stuart has amassed 100 caps in a truly stellar career, taking the Scottish faithful along with him every step of the way. He currently holds the Scottish try scoring record, and has twice been voted the Six Nations Player of the Tournament in both 2016 & 2017, the only other players ever to have achieved this unique double being Brian O’Driscoll and Antoine DuPont.
A veteran of three Lions tours, firstly gaining valuable experience as the youngest tourist in Australia in 2013, he was then so cruelly denied the chance to win a test jersey in New Zealand in 2017 when a freak injury during a provincial game against the Crusaders finished his tour, when arguably in the form of his life. However the character and desire he showed following that disappointment, saw him conquer the demons of doubt, and gradually overcome serious injury, to return to the biggest of stages, the culmination of which saw Stuart playing his part for Exeter Chiefs as they won the double of the European crown and the English Premiership in 2020. He was duly rewarded a year later with selection for his third Lions tour, where Stuart finally won that most illusive and coveted of jersey’s against South Africa in July 2021, when selected at fullback for the 1st test.
Throughout his career the community of Hawick together with the wider Scottish rugby fraternity have travelled with him on an incredible journey, and as the world stood up and took note, we in Hawick took great pride in one of our own, creating the spark which lit the blue touch paper time and time again.
Thanks for the memories Stuart, on behalf of everyone at Hawick RFC I would like to wish you the very best of success in whatever you do in the future, and we hope to see you down at Mansfield Park with Gillian and the kids cheering the Robbie Dyes on.