Ex-England rugby league star Gareth Hock, 39, charged with rape, assault and coercion

Former Great Britain and England rugby player Gareth Hock has been charged with rape.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that Hock, 39, has been remanded in custody and will appear in court at a later date.

A police statement read: ‘Gareth Hock from Wigan has been charged with multiple offences, including rape, assault and controlling or coercive behaviour.

“He has been remanded in custody and will appear in court at a later date.”

Allegations of assault and controlling and compulsive behavior were filed against the former international earlier this month.

The other charges were based on events that took place between January 1, 2009 and November 11, 2022.

Hock was arrested on February 14 and appeared at a hearing at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court.

He will appear at an undetermined date for a pre-trial hearing at Manchester Crown Court.

GMP Wigan West posted on Facebook yesterday: ‘A Wigan man has been charged with multiple offenses and taken into custody.’

They listed two counts of rape, five counts of assault involving actual bodily harm, controlling or coercive behavior, assault by hitting, acting and acting with intent to pervert the course of justice, failure to stop, failure to report an accident.

It is alleged that Hock, born Gareth Charnock, crashed an Audi A6 in Orrell in November 2022 and drove off without stopping.

Wigan Warriors’ Gareth Hock being tackled during the Powergen Challenge Cup match between Wigan Warriors and Widnes Vikings at the JJB Stadium on 29 February 2004 in Wigan

Hock previously represented Great Britain (2006) and England (2008-2012) in international rugby and was part of the 2008 World Cup squad.

He made 191 Wigan Warriors appearances between 2003 and 2013, scoring 48 tries.

Throughout his career, Hock played second-row prop and loose forward.

He retired in 2019 after 16 years of professional rugby.