Dylan Hartley


Dylan Hartley is a New Zealand-born former rugby union player who played as hooker for Northampton Saints. Hartley was the captain of England from January 2016 until the end of his international career in 2018. He is England’s most capped hooker of all time, earning his first cap in 2008. 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. He announced his retirement on 7 November 2019.

Early career

Dylan Hartley was born one of three boys in Rotorua, a largely rural area in northern New Zealand. He attended Rotorua Boys' High School where he began playing rugby as a loose head prop and graduated in 2002 with teammates, Liam Messam and Kelly Haimona.
Although Hartley was born and grew up in New Zealand, his mother was born in England and therefore he was already a British citizen and automatically England-qualified. With this in mind and using contacts of his aunt and uncle living in Crowborough, England, Dylan set his sights on playing for England. Dylan met with Jon Pass whose father was a rugby coach for a local club and Beacon Academy. Within a couple of weeks of speaking to Jon and Dave Pass, Hartley was on a plane to England. He was just 15 at the time and missed completing his final year of school at Rotorua High.
During his early days in England Hartley swapped positions from prop to hooker, afterwards earning a call-up to the Sussex county set-up and trials for England age group rugby.

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 losing Northampton 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 announced that Hartley had extended his contract for a further three years, despite a more lucrative offer from French side Montpellier, with Hartley citing his desire to remain eligible for England selection as a deciding factor.
Hartley helped Saints secure a place in the Champions Cup for the 2017/18 season as the side saw off Stade Francais in the European Champions Cup play-off final to take the last spot.
On 7 November 2019, Hartley announced his retirement from rugby due to a knee injury that had kept him side-lined for all of 2019.

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.
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. England went on to win the Grand Slam.
He then 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, and was again appointed captain.

International tries

TryOpposing teamLocationVenueCompetitionDateResultScore
1London, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2010 Autumn Internationals06 11 2010Loss16 – 26
2Melbourne, AustraliaAAMI Park2016 Tour of Australia18 06 2016Win23 – 7
3London, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2018 Autumn Internationals10 11 2018Loss15 – 16
4London, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2018 Autumn Internationals17 11 2018Win35 – 15

Controversies

Hartley has had his fair share of disciplinary problems over the years, amounting to a total of 60 banned weeks since 2007.
In April 2007 Hartley was banned for 26 weeks for making contact with the eye of Wasps forwards James Haskell and Jonny O'Connor. The ban dealt an even bigger blow for Hartley as his hopes of joining the England World Cup squad were dashed and his club Northampton Saints were relegated in the same week.
Hartley saw his second ban come 5 years later in March 2012, 8 weeks for biting the finger of 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.
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.