 Hartley in May 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Dylan Michael Hartley (1986-03-24)24 March 1986 (age 39) Rotorua, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 110 kg (17 st 5 lb; 243 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Rotorua Boys' High School Beacon Community College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dylan Hartley (born 24 March 1986) is a formerrugby union player who representedEngland andNorthampton Saints.
Hartley was the captain ofEngland from January 2016 until the end of his international career in 2019. Earning his first cap in 2008, he formerly held the record for the most capped England hooker ever before being overtaken byJamie George in 2025.[2] Hartley captained England to a Grand Slam in 2016, the first time that England had achieved this since 2003, then back-to-back Six Nations titles and notably a historic 3-0 series win in the 2016Cook Cup againstAustralia. In 14 domestic seasons withNorthampton Saints Hartley captained the Saints for 8 years through their most successful period in the club’s 130-year history.[3]
Dylan Hartley was born in Rotorua,New Zealand.[4] He attendedRotorua Boys' High School.[citation needed]
Although Hartley was born and grew up in New Zealand, his mother being English automatically made him England-qualified.[5] With this in mind Dylan set his sights on playing professionally in England. At 16 he left his native New Zealand and headed to England where he attendedBeacon Academy. Within a year, Worcester Warriors had offered him an academy place and at 17 years old he joined and embarked on what ended up being a 16 year professional career withNorthampton Saints andEngland Rugby.[4]
Hartley joinedWorcester Warriors' academy and represented the senior side once in the2004–05 European Challenge Cup.[6] Hartley joined the Senior Academy of Northampton Saints in the summer of 2005.[7]
Hartley started in a2006–07 Heineken Cup quarter final victory overBiarritz Olympique.[8] That season, Northampton were relegated from thePremiership.[9]
The following season, Northampton won theEDF Energy Trophy[10] and secured promotion from theRFU Championship.[11] Hartley started for Northampton saints as they defeatedBourgoin in the final of2008–09 European Challenge Cup.[12] On 22 July 2009, Hartley was made Northampton Saints captain, replacingBruce Reihana.[13]
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 verbally abusing referee Wayne Barnes.[14]Hartley won the 2014 Premiership final against Saracens.[15]
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.[16]
Hartley helped Saints secure a place in theChampions Cup for the 2017/18 season as the side saw offStade Francais in the European Champions Cup play-off final to take the last spot.[17]
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.[18]
Hartley represented England at age groups U18, U19s and U21s and in 2007 made his debut for theEngland Saxons, againstItaly A.[19]
Hartley received his first cap forEngland during the2008 end of year rugby tests against thePacific Islanders.[20] Hartley made his first start for England againstArgentina atOld Trafford in June 2009.[21]
Hartley was named as the new England captain under Eddie Jones for the2016 Six Nations Championship, replacingChris Robshaw. England went on to win theGrand Slam and win back to back 6 Nations titles.[22] 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, a record he would hold until being overtaken by Jamie George in 2025. Under Hartley’s leadership England went on to win a world record equalling run of 18 test victories in a row.[23][24]
Hartley was selected for the British and Irish Lions 2013 tour to Australia but missed it due to being banned after his red card sending off in the Premiership Final.[25]
| Try | Opposing team | Location | Venue | Competition | Date | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  New Zealand | London,England | Twickenham Stadium | 2010 end-of-year rugby union internationals | 6 November 2010 | Loss | 16 – 26 |
| 2 |  Australia | Melbourne,Australia | AAMI Park | 2016 Tour of Australia | 18 June 2016 | Win | 23 – 7 |
| 3 | New Zealand | London, England | Twickenham Stadium | 2018 end-of-year rugby union internationals | 10 November 2018 | Loss | 15 – 16 |
| 4 |  Japan | London, England | Twickenham Stadium | 2018 Autumn Internationals | 17 November 2018 | Win | 35 – 15 |
Hartley had a large number of disciplinary problems in matches amounting to a total of 60 banned weeks in his career.[27]
In April 2007 Hartley was banned for 26 weeks for making contact with the eye ofWasps forwardsJames Haskell andJonny 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 clubNorthampton Saints were relegated in the same week.[28] Hartley saw his second ban come 5 years later in March 2012, 8 weeks for biting the finger of Ireland forwardStephen Ferris in a Six Nations match.[29] Then in December 2012 Hartley was banned for two weeks for punchingUlster hookerRory Best in aHeineken Cup match.[30] In May 2013 Hartley was sent off in theAviva Premiership final against Leicester and banned for 11 weeks after being found guilty of verbally abusing a match official.[31] This cost Hartley his place in the2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.[32][33]
In December 2014, Hartley was banned for three weeks for an elbowing offence in the match againstLeicester Tigers. His elbow made contact with the nose of wingerMatt Smith. In May 2015, Hartley was found guilty of making contact with the head of opposite numberJamie George in the semi-finalEnglish premiership loss toSaracens atFranklin's Gardens. He was found guilty by theciting commissioner and banned for four weeks, putting his EnglandRugby World Cup 2015 selection in jeopardy, as he would be unavailable for the first week of the tournament.[34] In December 2016, Hartley was banned for 6 weeks having caughtLeinster Rugby playerSean O'Brien with a swinging arm to the back of the head in a European Champions Cup game.[35]