Hartley is a one-club man
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England and Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley has spurned a chance to join French club Montpellier, picking loyalty over money.
Hartley's contract was up at the end of the current season and as such was quickly targeted by some big spending clubs, especially in France.
It was announced that the Saints had secured the signitures of six other Northampton players.
The hooker wrote about his offer from across the channel in his column in The Sun.
"It's no secret I was offered a deal to join one of the leading French sides, Montpellier, which would have been worth significantly more," he wrote.
"But money isn't everything.
"I don't want to come across all 'holier than thou' over this, but I do believe the world loyalty has gone out of fashion a bit – and for me that really means something.
"I have a great admiration for the one-club men, across a variety of sports, and if I can finish my career with Saints as my only professional club I'll be a very proud man.
Hartley owes a lot to his club who have stuck with him through his disciplinary issues.
"Saints have shown incredible loyalty towards me, particularly during my well-documented disciplinary issues, and it's great that I can take this opportunity to try to repay their faith in me.
"And I'm obviously aware that staying at Saints means I will continue to be eligible for England in the run-up to the 2019 World Cup, not just next year's competition.
A move to Montpellier would not have threatened my participation in 2015 as I would not have joined them officially until after the World Cup.
"The very generous money they were offering and the promise of around 300 days of sunshine made the opportunity to play abroad very tempting.
"But I've no doubt that I've made the right decision."
Hartley is the longest-serving player at Franklin's Gardens joining the club in 2005. He was named club captain in 2009, and as well as amassing 198 first team appearances he has lifted the Premiership trophy and skippered the Saints to the 2011 European Cup final.
He is also the most capped player in the current England squad, having played 61 times in the white shirt.
Courtney Lawes has also put pen to paper on a new deal. The 25-year-old home-grown lock made his Saints debut in October 2007, but sprang to prominence with man of the match performances in the European Challenge Cup and European Cup in 2008 and 2009.
A Junior World Championship finalist in 2009, Lawes made his full international debut in that year's year-end Internationals and has gone to play 36 times for England and 148 times for the Saints, winning plenty of plaudits for his athleticism and effective play in the process.
Over the past few years Calum Clark has become one of the most effective and consistent loose forwards anywhere in the Premiership. The Saints' Player of the Month in October, Clark was named the club's Young Player of the Season in his first year at Franklin's Gardens.
Alex Waller's new contract comes at the end of a dream year for the 24-year-old prop. Not only did he score the winning try in the Premiership final, but he also made his first ever national representative appearance, playing for England Saxons against Irish Wolfhounds and Scotland 'A'.
This was followed by a place on the plane to New Zealand as part of England's touring squad, for whom he impressed while playing against the Crusaders.
James Craig is another young forward to pen a new agreement. The 26-year-old lock forward has played 36 times for the Saints so far in his career.
Gareth Denman is in his second season at Franklin's Gardens and has signed on for more.
The Sun
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