England hooker Dylan Hartley has been banned for four weeks for head-butting an opponent, ruling him out of contention for the team's first match of the Rugby World Cup.
England's Rugby Football Union said Wednesday that Hartley's suspension begins on Aug. 15 and he is free to play again on Sept. 21.
England's first group game is against Fiji on Sept. 18.
Hartley, who plays for Northampton, attended a disciplinary hearing and admitted to striking Saracens hooker Jamie George with his head during the teams' English Premiership playoff match on Saturday.
Hartley will miss all three of England's World Cup warm-up matches, too, putting his selection for the 31-man squad in jeopardy.
