Rugby-Hartley signs new Northampton deal, appointed captain

Northampton Saints have re-appointed Dylan Hartley as captain after the hooker signed a new contract at the Premiership club, the East Midlands team said on Wednesday.

Hartley led the Saints to the Premiership title in 2014 during his first stint as skipper from 2009-15 before relinquishing the captain's armband to Tom Wood last season.

"It was an easy decision to commit my long-term playing future to Northampton Saints," the 31-year-old England captain told the club's website.

"I'm very proud to be offered an opportunity to continue playing and being part of such a great club.

"I'm very passionate about the Saints and would love to see us competing for trophies. We have some valuable experience within the squad that will be driving the team forward this year."

The Saints open their season against European Champions Cup winners Saracens on Sept. 2.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)