Hampshire have torn up a short-term deal with former Black Caps seamer Scott Kuggeleijn, backing away from the signing on the very day he was due to debut after what the club called “feedback from staff and supporters”.
The 34-year-old was set to play against Warwickshire in the County Championship, having been quietly added for the final four matches of Hampshire’s season. His arrival appeared on the club’s website, but never made it to their social media channels. The silence did not last long.
Criticism quickly gathered online once word of his recruitment spread, and by the time the match was about to start, Hampshire had changed course. Kuggeleijn, they confirmed, would not play for the club.
“Having reflected and listened to feedback from staff and supporters Hampshire Cricket can confirm that Scott Kuggeleijn will not represent the club,” read a statement from the county. “We value the passion of our fanbase and thank everyone who took the time to share their views.”
The backlash centred on Kuggeleijn’s past. In 2016 he stood trial in Hamilton, charged with the sexual violation by rape of a 21-year-old woman. He pleaded not guilty. A jury failed to reach a verdict, forcing a retrial the following year. On that occasion, he was found not guilty.
Legally cleared, he still carried controversy with him whenever he pulled on a shirt. A few months after the retrial he broke into the New Zealand side, making his international debut in a one-day international against Ireland in Dublin. His selection for home T20 and ODI fixtures in 2019 ignited protests around New Zealand grounds.
One woman who brought a sign with an anti-rape slogan to a match in Wellington, in which Kuggeleijn was playing, said she was told to hand over the banner or leave the stadium. As security staff spoke to her group, others nearby began chanting “no means no” in the stands.
New Zealand Cricket later accepted they had got it wrong.
“The message certainly wasn’t offensive, so it was a mistake to take that course of action,” then public affairs manager Richard Boock said. He added that NZ Cricket had recently introduced an annual training module for professional players, focused on sexual harassment, consent and respect for women.
Kuggeleijn’s international career never fully settled into the mainstream. He played three Tests, two ODIs and 18 T20 internationals for the Black Caps, his last appearance coming against Australia in Christchurch in March 2024.
Now, with Hampshire’s abrupt reversal, another chapter in his career has closed almost before it began.
