GRAND Slam winning England star Dylan Hartley is coming off the subs’ bench to join world’s most popular rugby podcast The Good, The Bad And The Rugby as it heads out on tour.

Joining the podcast’s regular hosts England heroes James Haskell and Mike Tindall, Dylan Hartley will be on the panel for The Good, The Bad And The Rugby – LIVE when it comes to Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion on Wednesday, June 1.

The LIVE tour will be the first ever outing for the hit podcast which, since launching in summer 2020, has grown to become the UK’s top sporting podcast, with more than 3million listeners and 20million-plus viewers online.

Speaking about Dylan’s addition to the line-up for Southend, Mike Tindall said: “Dylan Hartley has been part of The Good, The Bad And The Rugby family from the very start – and always has lots to talk about.

"He was an amazing player and captain for England, and we’re delighted to have him on board for The Good, The Bad And The Rugby – LIVE in Southend.”

Born in New Zealand, Hartley moved to England aged 16 to follow his ambitions of becoming a professional rugby player.

Within two years, he had signed a professional contract with Northampton – and became club captain four years later, leading them to domestic and European titles.

Hartley made his international debut for England in 2008 – captaining his country for three years, from 2016 until his retirement in 2019.

With 97 caps to his name, England’s most capped hooker of all time, Hartley led his country to win back-to-back Six Nations titles, including the 2016 Grand Slam, and a history-making 3-0 series victory over Australia.

James Haskell added: “Having Dylan join us in Southend will be fantastic – we had some interesting experiences during our careers, and he’s a perfect addition to the squad.

"It’s going to be a great night to round off the tour.”

Book tickets here