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Scotland and British and Irish Lions full-back Stuart Hogg has agreed to join English Premiership side Exeter next Summer on a two-year deal.
Hogg, 26 has been nothing short of a superstar in Scottish rugby during his nine years at Glasgow Warriors. But as much as many would love to see him stay, he is still in his prime with a chance to add more titles to his collection. Financially too, it makes sense for him to move down south.
"This is a decision that's taken a great deal of thought as I've loved my nine seasons at Glasgow," Hogg said to BBC.
Having scored 215 points in 109 appearances for the Warriors, Hogg will leave a massive gap in the full-back position. However, they seem to be doing well so far in his absence, topping the Pro 14 table.
Exeter, on the other hand, have made a massive statement to their rivals Saracens with this signing. Possessing a back line of Alex Cuthbert, Jack Nowell and now Stuart Hogg, they have a very strong defense that can put them in the ascendancy vis-a-vis Saracens.
Exeter coach Rob Baxter seems very happy with his new recruitment, saying that Hogg has been on his radar for a whlie.
"We've tracked him for some time and we actually wanted to sign him before he signed his last contract at Glasgow," Baxter said. "At that stage it wasn't the right time for him to move, but now it is and we feel he will be a fantastic addition to our squad.
"Yes, it's a statement on our part. But anyone who knows us and where we want to go, will understand that for us to move forward and win trophies we have to back ourselves fully and that means bringing in players who we feel will take us to that next level."
However, as many have been discussing on Twitter and other social media platforms, it seems that the Scottish teams have become feeder clubs for those down south. Is it time for the Scottish Rugby Union to dig deep and prevent their homegrown talent leaving while they are still in their prime?
