England captain Dylan Hartley has been ruled out of the summer tour of South Africa due to ongoing concussion problems, according to a report on ESPN.
Hartley has been out of action since England lost to Ireland in the Six Nations to hand their rivals a Grand Slam victory.
The skipper has been regularly in contact with the medical staff and after seeking their advice, he has decided to stay at home over the summer period to ensure he makes a full recovery from the injury.
The hooker will now miss the remainder of the Aviva Premiership campaign for his side Northampton Saints and he is already looking forward to next season.
In an emotional message, Hartley said:
I’m very disappointed that I will not be available for selection for Saints’ remaining Premiership games, as well England’s tour to South Africa.
It has been recommended by specialists that I take a break this summer and while I find that decision hard to accept, it’s important I listen to that advice.
I intend to use this time to recover fully from my injury, so I can be ready to hit the ground running when pre-season training starts later this summer.
Hartley’s absence for England gives head coach Eddie Jones a big decision to make regarding the captaincy.
Several players are in contention to become the captain and Jones knows that he has plenty of capable candidates to fulfil the role.
