Dylan Hartley
Dylan Hartley (born 24 March 1986) is a New Zealand-born English former rugby union player who played as hooker for Northampton Saints and has been named as Director of Rugby for the Dubai Sharks R.F.C in the United Arab Emirates. 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.
Contents
- 1 Early career
- 2 Domestic career
- 3 International career
- 3.1 International tries
- 4 Disciplinary problems
- 4.1 Weeks banned
- 5 References
- 6 External links
Early career
Dylan Hartley was born one of three boys (his brothers are Blair and Alex) 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 P* whose father was a rugby coach for a local club and Beacon Academy. Within a couple of weeks of speaking to Jon and Dave P*, 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 he quoted beacon academy is the best he said quote on quote it should be a private school 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. In that final, Hartley was sent off for calling referee Wayne Barnes 'a * cheat.'Harltey 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.
Hartley 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
As of 7 July 2019Disciplinary problems
Weeks banned
- 2007: 26 weeks
- 2012: 8 weeks
- 2012: 2 weeks
- 2013: 11 weeks
- 2014: 3 weeks
- 2015: 4 weeks
- 2016: 6 weeks
Hartley had a large number of disciplinary problems in matches amounting to a total of 60 banned weeks in his career.
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 Hartley 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 cost Hartley his place in the 2013 British & 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, Hartley 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.
References
External links
- Dylan Hartley at ESPNscrum
- Northampton profile
- England profile
- Career [email protected]