Former England captain Hartley retires
Former England captain Dylan Hartley has announced his retirement from professional rugby.
The 33-year-old Northampton Saints hooker has been unable to recover from the troublesome knee injury that has kept him out of action for both club and country throughout 2019.
The Rotorua-born front rower is England men’s second-most capped player of all time, having turned out for his country on 97 occasions and led the side for 30 Tests as captain.
Hartley retires at the start of his 15th season at Franklin’s Gardens having made 251 appearances for the Premiership club.
“I am extremely proud of my journey, both with Saints and representing England, but now is the right time to hang up my playing boots,” said Hartley.
“The last few months have been difficult for me both mentally and physically as I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am no longer able to compete, but I have to thank all the staff at Saints who have all invested so much time in helping me with my rehabilitation, in particular S&C coach Eamonn Hyland.
“I have loved my journey in rugby. I came to England as a teenager hoping to get a few games of rugby and to see the world. I could have never predicted that one day I’d play 14 years for such a special club and go on to represent and captain England.
“Northampton Saints has been more than just a club to me. It has been a place that has provided me with direction, purpose, a sense of family, home and belonging; and ultimately a community that I was so proud to represent every time I got a chance to play for Northampton.
He added: “My career wasn’t perfect, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I’m privileged to have experienced some amazing highs while there have also been some personal lows, all of which are powerful experiences that will stay with me forever. The final chapter of my career was supposed to go a different way, but that is the nature of professional sport.
“I would not have been able to achieve what I have without the support of my wife Jo, my family, my friends and my teammates. To them all, I am incredibly grateful for their love and unwavering support.”
England men's most-capped hooker and second most-capped men's player of all time, Hartley’s international career spanned a decade and will go down as one of the most successful of the modern era.
After being named as Eddie Jones’ new skipper at the start of 2016, Hartley’s England claimed a Grand Slam triumph in the Guinness Six Nations just three months later, before rounding off a standout first year with a 3-0 whitewash of the Wallabies in Australia.
Hartley then captained England to a defence of their Six Nations title and a series win over Argentina the following year – a spell of continued success which means he retires as one of England’s most-successful ever captains in terms of matches won, with a winning percentage of 85%.
