Not quite the gentlemen we all thought they were! How Scotland star Stuart Hogg is latest rugby ace to be embroiled in split scandal after love rats Danny Cipriani, Joe Westerman and Ben Foden’s affairs

The oft-repeated and famous saying is that rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen.

But – if some of the players’ love lives are anything to go be – whoever coined that phrase might be reconsidering its wisdom.

Many of the sport’s devastated exes could be forgiven for thinking their former loves were hardly gentlemen.

And after it was revealed today Stuart Hogg is just the latest star to be embroiled in a split scandal he joins an ever growing list.

Here MailOnline takes a look at some of the most notorious ‘bad boys’ of the game:

Foden admits he deserves to be criticised after his philandering helped bring an end to their marriage

 Confession: Ben Foden has confirmed he did cheat on wife Una Healy during their six-year marriage, but insists his infidelity was one of many reasons for the couple’s subsequent divorce

Ben Foden

Foden has confirmed himself he did cheat on former wife Una Healy during their six-year marriage.

But he has also insisted his infidelity was just one of many reasons for the couple’s subsequent divorce.

The pair announced their separation in July 2018 after Una called off their planned move to the United States.

She instead relocated to her mother’s home in Ireland with their two children.

Foden has admitted he deserves to be criticised for his philandering but has said in the past he was not entirely to blame.

He told The Guardian: ‘At the moment anything that’s published about me is never very good and pretty rightly so because I was the one who committed adultery.

‘At the same time, it wasn’t the only reason for our divorce to go through. It’s not ideal, but we’re very amicable, we’re getting through it, we’re not the first people in the world to get divorced. We’ve got two little kids we adore.’ 

‘It’s hard because I’m away from my son and daughter,’ he added. ‘But I know they’re in a great and loving environment with Una, because she’s a great mum. We never argue about that.’ 

Foden’s tattered reputation suffered a further blow in 2018 after he used dating app Bumble to publicly announce his separation from the former Saturday’s star. 

Adding a short introductory bio alongside a series of brooding selfies, the rugby player insisted he was looking for someone who ‘wasn’t bossy’ – widely perceived as a dig at his ex-wife.

Dinner date: Danny Cipriani and Kelly Brook during their romance which was ten years ago

Caught out: Danny sent explicit texts to Stacey Simcox, who was confronted by Kelly

Danny Cipriani and Victoria Cipriani seen leaving BBC Breakfast Studio’s at Media City in Salford Manchester

Danny Cipriani

Cipriani has just split from his wife Victoria, with no suggestion anyone else was involved.

But that wasn’t the case back in 2013 when he was dating model Kelly Brook.

They split up a decade ago after it emerged he betrayed her by sending lewd texts to at least seven other women.

There relationship came crashing down after sales manager Stacey Simcox revealed he had been bombarding her with messages.

Kelly confronted at least six other women after discovering a second, secret mobile phone owned by Cipriani.

She used the handset to text Miss Simcox, 25, to say: ‘I take it you’re another one he’s f***ing’, before calling her. Miss Simcox said: ‘I recognised her voice, but she was snotty and understandably very angry.’

In Spetember this year Cipriani claimed that Kelly cheated on her then-boyfriend Thom Evans with him by going on a secret holiday together.

The rugby star, who dated the model between 2008 and 2010, has made the claims in his bombshell memoir, recalling how the actress then went onto date his teammate Thom, 38, between 2010 and 2012. 

The sports star has now opened up about how hurt he was over Kelly and Thom’s relationship and how he sought out to meet her behind his pal’s back. 

Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff dancing together when they were partnered on Strictly

Ben Cohen

Former Rugby star Ben, 44, fell in love with Russian dancer Kristina Rihanoff , 45, after they were partnered up on the 11th series of Strictly in 2013, despite Ben being married at the time. 

His then wife Abby, a photographer and food stylist, has previously spoken out about her disdain for her ex-partner’s romance with his Strictly co-star.

Ben and Kristina have always denied cheating and said they did not embark on a romance until after his 13-year marriage came to an end a year later.

But Abby, the mother of Ben’s twin girls Harriette and Isabelle, admitted her ‘shock’ upon hearing the news that her former husband and Kristina had been expecting a child together.

In an interview in The Sun On Sunday, she said: ‘My husband, who I was with for 23 years, unconditionally loved and was completely loyal to in every respect, has left me for a f***ing Russian dancer.’ 

‘The last two years have been the most traumatic thing to ever happen to me. He’s done the dirty on me. I want people to know.’

‘I don’t want to cause stress or further damage by stirring things up. But I’m just trying to recover from what has been the most horrific time of my life.’ 

Kristina – who has been dating Ben for around a year and a half, following their first meeting on the 2013 series of Strictly – unveiled their happy baby news back in January while she was taking part in Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother

Abby later explained: ‘I sat in the (Strictly) studio audience each week smiling, but looking back, I see I was terrified.

‘Thankfully, I don’t recognise that frightened woman now, I’m so different. Perhaps Strictly did me a favour in the long run.’

Joe Westerman with wife Louise in happier times before the embarrassing Greggs scandal broke

Shamed rugby star Joe Westerman has shared images of himself with new girlfriend Alison Hopkinson on social media – including one snap at the Pontefract Races

Westerman was filmed in a compromising position in a graphic video that was then widely circulated on social media in February

Joe Westerman

Westerman was dumped by his wife after being caught on camera performing a lewd sex act with a woman in an alleyway behind a Greggs in his hometown.

He issued a grovelling apology in which he vowed to ‘work on my decision-making around alcohol’ and was fined and ordered to do community work by his Super League club Castleford Tigers club.

But that was nothing compared to the fury he faced from his wife Lauren back home.

In texts to his wife he claimed not to remember anything about what happened.

Mr Westerman appears to have found happiness with local estate agent Alison Hopkinson, 34.

Speaking from her family home in Castleford in August, Ms Hopkinson confirmed she was in a relationship with Mr Westerman.

Asked about their relationship she said ‘yes that’s right but I don’t want to say anything further thanks.’

The rugby star went public with the relationship six weeks ago when he posted a photo of them on his Instagram account laughing and sitting close together.

Friends commented ‘Awww cuties’ and ‘looking happy pal.’

Mr Westerman, a father-of-three, posted another picture on social media of him posing with his attractive blonde companion at Pontefract races and put a love heart emoji next to her name.

It prompted Sue Robinson to comment: ‘You look so happy I’m so pleased for you xx.’

Ms Hopkinson has two young children of her own. She is understood to be estranged from her husband Carl,

Just days after his estranged wife gave birth to their fourth child, Hogg was seen having a spa weekend with former jockey Leonna Mayor. She posted this photo of them on Instagram

Stuart Hogg is said to have split from his wife Gillian (pictured together). The pair married in 2016

 Gillian’s wife is said to be ‘heartbroken’ by the new relationship, especially seeing it ‘flaunted’ on social media. Pictured: Leonna Mayor

Stuart Hogg

The wife of former Scotland ruby captain Stuart Hogg has been left ‘devastated’ after he left her for the ‘world’s sexiest jockey’ while she was heavily pregnant with their fourth child, her friends have revealed.

A source close to Gillian Hogg, 36, said she is ‘absolutely heartbroken’ after the British and Irish Lions ace told her their marriage was over – and he started seeing former flat jockey Leonna Mayor, 32.

Hogg was pictured on Ms Mayor’s Instagram on Monday as the pair appeared to enjoy a luxurious spa trip at Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Retreat in Staffordshire.

The photo of the pair smiling with the caption ‘the least Mondayest Monday ever’ was posted shortly after Gillian announced that she had given birth to Phoebe Anne on November 7. 

After news of the split broke, Hogg yesterday shared a cryptic Instagram post in which he reposted a quote which said: ‘Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being excited about what could go right.’

A source told MailOnline that Gillian has been ‘completely blindsided by this’, adding: ‘She is devastated and heartbroken at the end of her marriage. Despite all of this she still loved Stuart.

‘They had been together for seven years, so it is very hard for her to process what is happening. Emotionally, she is all over the place.’

The friend went on: ‘She’s broken into a million pieces. Having their fourth child was supposed to be a happy time for them as a family, but instead her life has been torn apart.’

Neighbours of the couple who lived in Hawick, Scotland, said that rumours circulated that Hogg and Gillian had separated some weeks ago after he was rarely seen at the family home.

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