Dylan Hartley: 'Rugby normalises pain and injuries – it’s the reality'

The former England captain reflects on retirement, life in the international spotlight and the brutal demands of the modern gameDylan Hartley picks his way through the brightly coloured balloons that light up his house on a rainy morning in the Northamptonshire countryside. His daughter turned five yesterday and, now he has retired from rugby, the former England captain is still enjoying the novelty of being at home with his family in a birthday week. But rugby has battered his body and so he walks gingerly to a comfortable sofa.Hartley’s love for the game, and his awareness of the toll it exa…