Quick Facts
Biography
Dylan Hartley (born 24 March 1986) is a New Zealand born rugby union player who plays at hooker for England and Northampton Saints. Hartley was named captain of England in January 2016, prior to the 2016 Six Nations. Hartley captained England to the Grand Slam in 2016, the first time that England had done this since 2003, and to a 3–0 series win in the 2016 Cook Cup against Australia. Hartley is also the most highly capped hooker in English rugby history.
Early career
Hartley was born in New Zealand, but qualifies to play for England through his English mother. He moved to Crowborough, East Sussex in 2002 and enjoyed the game through local teams and the Beacon Rugby Academy, where he competed with English, Scottish and Italian rugby hopefuls before being picked for Sussex and later divisional and England schoolboys.
Domestic career
Hartley joined Worcester Warriors academy, representing the senior side just once in the 2004–05 European Challenge Cup. Hartley joined the Senior Academy of Northampton Saints in the summer of 2005.
Hartley started in a 2006–07 Heineken Cup quarter final victory over Biarritz Olympique. That season, Northampton were relegated from the Premiership.
The following season Northampton won the EDF Energy Trophy and secured promotion from the RFU Championship. Hartley started for Northampton saints as they defeated Bourgoin in the final of 2008–09 European Challenge Cup. On 22 July 2009, Hartley was made Northampton Saints captain, replacing Bruce Reihana.
Hartley captained the Northampton Saints losing sides in the 2011 Heineken Cup Final and also the 2013 English Premiership Final before going on to lift the trophy the following year when Northampton won the 2014 Premiership final against Saracens.
On 17 December 2014 Northampton Saints announced that Hartley had extended his contract for a further 3 years, despite a more lucrative offer from French side Montpellier, with Hartley citing his desire to remain eligible for England selection and playing for his only senior club as deciding factors.
International career
Hartley represented England at the 2005 Under 21 Rugby World Championship. In February 2007, Hartley made his debut for the England Saxons, against Italy A.
Senior Team
Hartley received his first cap for England during the 2008 end of year rugby tests against the Pacific Islanders. Hartley made his first start for England against Argentina at Old Trafford in June 2009.
Hartley was named as the new England captain under Eddie Jones for the 2016 Six Nations Championship replacing Chris Robshaw, where England went on to win the Grand Slam.
Following England's Grand Slam win, he captained the team who achieved England's first ever away Series win against Australia in June 2016, and during the series became England's most capped hooker of all time.
After returning from injury during the 2016/17 season, Hartley was named in the 32-man squad for the 2016 Autumn Internationals alongside fellow Northampton Saints Courtney Lawes, Teimana Harrison and Tom Wood.
Controversy
Hartley has become infamous for acts of indiscipline.
In April 2007 Hartley was banned for 26 weeks for making contact with the eye of Wasps forwards James Haskell and Jonny O'Connor.
He was banned again in March 2012 for 8 weeks for biting Ireland forward Stephen Ferris in a Six Nations match.
Then in December 2012 he was banned for two weeks for punching Ulster hooker Rory Best in a Heineken Cup match.
In May 2013 Hartley was sent off in the Aviva Premiership final against Leicester and banned for 11 weeks after being found guilty of verbally abusing a match official. This act cost Hartley his place in the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia.
In December 2014, Hartley was banned for three weeks for an elbowing offence in the match against Leicester Tigers. His elbow made contact with the nose of winger Matt Smith.
In May 2015, Hartley was found guilty of making contact with the head of opposite number Jamie George in the semi-final English premiership loss to Saracens at Franklin's Gardens. He was found guilty by the citing commissioner and banned for four weeks, putting his England Rugby World Cup 2015 selection in jeopardy, as he would be unavailable for the first week of the tournament.
On 29 May 2015 Stuart Lancaster (England Coach) confirmed that Hartley would be dropped from the England training squad, he was replaced by the receiver of his headbutt, Saracen's Jamie George.
In December 2016, he was banned for 6 weeks having caught Leinster Rugby player Sean O'Brien with a swinging arm to the back of the head in a European Champions' Cup game.
In total, Hartley has accumulated 60 weeks of bans.
Despite his disciplinary record, in 2016 new England coach Eddie Jones named Hartley as England captain, believing that his experience as Northampton captain, his passionate and aggressive approach to the game, gave him the qualities to lead the England team.