Due to ongoing health issues Keith Hogg has made the tough decision to step down as chair of Scotland Rugby League at the end of this year, after 12 years in the role. Keith has been a devoted and loyal member of the organisation, going above and beyond to provide not only a wealth of experience, but his own time and money to help push rugby league in Scotland forward, and build a culture and environment centered around the Rugby League family.

For Scotland Men’s Captain, Dale Ferguson, Keith’s main legacy will be the ideals of family that he instilled within the culture of not only the first team, but every team involved with Scotland Rugby League.

He made Scotland Rugby League an enjoyable place to be, with the Scotland camps based around family. It made it more important for us, because we’re not just representing ourselves, we’re representing our family.

“In 2017 my parents ended up touring with the squad at the World Cup because Keith and Victoria allowed it. I don’t know if there are any other national teams that would let that happen, but it shows you who Keith is, he’s a family man and wants to build that atmosphere with us.

“One of the goals for the team is to bring a sense of togetherness and family, and a lot of it filtered through from Keith. We wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for Keith, and there’ll be a massive hole to fill when he’s not in camp because he’s done so much for us.”

Operations Director and Scotland Men’s Team Manager, Ollie Cruickshank said: From first meeting Keith in 2009 he has always been a mentor to me and supported me throughout my journey with Scotland Rugby League.

I was lucky enough to go to the 2013 RLWC, 2016 Four Nations and the 2018 Commonwealth Championships with Keith in my role of Team Manager, even as the Chair he was always willing to help in any way he can be that setting up the changing rooms pre game or washing the kit post game he is always willing to roll his sleeves up and lend a hand.

Every team is looked after in the same way and Keith makes sure that he knows every player in every squad as this made a difference and made everyone feel they were part of the SRL family.

If you speak to anyone about Keith they will always say that his philosophy is about having the right environment around the squad and that will help performance on the pitch.

I have so much to thank Keith for and even though he is stepping down from his role as Chair, I know his legacy will be around for a long time to come.

In 2009, Keith was approached to become the chair of Scotland Rugby League. He had been working with the London Broncos at the time and he jumped at the opportunity to help better the sport he loved in Scotland.

Keith attended all the matches at the 2013 World Cup, continuing to be a brilliant ambassador for the sport in Scotland. He was travelling back and forth, juggling attending games with attending his son’s (Scotland International Matt Hogg) school rugby matches. Keith and his wife Victoria were an integral part in the everyday running of the Scotland Rugby League, going above and beyond the call of duty to establish a financial stable basis for SRL to build from.

Keith made it his business to attend as many games as he could, supporting the teams at every level. He regularly attended the Student 4 Nations tournament, he would support the U19’s attending the Commonwealth U19’s tournament in 2014. He also acted as team manager on this occasion.

He was always willing to muck in on any occasion. Helping arrange players’ transport, payment, arranging tickets for family and friends of players. He would never ask someone to do a job he wasn’t willing to do himself. That is a measure of the man he is.

Keith has always been a willing and wonderful advocate for Scotland Rugby League, attending the European Rugby League and International Rugby League congresses making sure Scotland was part of the global organisation. He made trips to Australia (2016 and 2019), New Zealand (2017), France on a few occasions and Hungary (2018) to speak to and learn from Rugby League organisations as an ambassador for the SRL.

Keith was heavily involved in the organisation of the 4 Nations Tournament in 2016, attending all games and supporting the team all the way. Scotland also hosted Australia, New Zealand and Tonga. He made sure his players and the guests were looked after, arranging transport, accommodation as well as a team photo outside of Edinburgh Castle!

Keith and his family attended both the Student and Men’s team World Cup matches in New Zealand and Australia in 2017. Throughout the tournament, the stability and support shown to the team and the Scotland management by Keith was greatly appreciated by all.

In 2018, Keith attended the U23 Commonwealth 9’s Tournament in Brisbane, Australia where his son Matt played and captained the team to win the shield. Hogg made his full debut for the Men’s team against France in a World Cup qualifying fixture, a very proud moment for Keith and Victoria.

In 2019, Keith travelled to Dublin, England and Australia while attending matches at every level from U16 to the Men’s Team. As well as attending he was involved in procurement of funds, social media, commerce, and game management. This hectic schedule continued in 2020 where he was preparing for the World Cup before the pandemic brought everything to a halt.

Keith was doing all of this work for Scotland Rugby League while working full time for his own company and coaching the U18 North Berwick High School Rugby Union team and holding the position of Head of Rugby at North Berwick RFC. He was doing everything he was doing for SRL because of his love for the team and love for the sport. His dedication and work ethic was second to none. Everything he and his family have done for SRL is deeply appreciated and we wish him all the best in the future.

Keith’s legacy will forever live on in the Scotland Rugby League motto.

Honest. Ruthless. Family.