It will be the 27-year-old England hooker’s fifth season at the helm of the Saints team.
With Hartley as captain the Saints have reached the Heineken Cup and Aviva Premiership finals, with the player himself reaching 171 first team appearances and 47 England caps during the past campaign.
Director of rugby Jim Mallinder says that Hartley has the respect of the players and coaches, and an excellent rapport with the Saints supporters.
“Dylan has matured a great deal over the past few years and is now an excellent club captain,” he said. “A massive amount of that work is done behind the scenes during the week, and Dylan’s attitude and desire has won him the respect of the rest of the players as well as the backroom staff.
“Of course we’re aware that the events of May’s Aviva Premiership final will mean that there will be a lot of attention on Dylan this season. He has learned from what happened at Twickenham and knows what is expected of him in the coming season.
“We certainly believe that he has the temperament to do well under the pressure, and will continue to improve as a player and as a leader.”
