England's Hartley ruled out of World Cup opener by ban


  • Rugby
  • Thursday, 28 May 2015

England's Dylan Hartley sits on the field after being defeated by Wales 30 -3 during their Six Nations international rugby union match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, March 16, 2013. REUTERS/Rebecca Naden

LONDON (Reuters) - Hooker Dylan Hartley will be unavailable for England's opening Rugby World Cup game against Fiji after being handed a four-week ban on Wednesday for head-butting an opponent.

The Northampton forward, never a stranger to controversy, was given his sixth ban by a Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing after he pleaded guilty to striking Saracens' Jamie George in Saturday's Premiership semi-final.

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