BBC Sport - Dylan Hartley: Lions hooker misses tour after 11-week ban England hooker Dylan Hartley will miss the British and Irish Lions tour after being suspended for 11 weeks for his red card in Northampton's Premiership final defeat by Leicester on Saturday. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) announced the ban after finding the Northampton captain swore at referee Wayne Barnes and called him a "cheat." Hartley, who pleaded not guilty, has the right of appeal. The Lions tour starts on 1 June and Hartley is banned until 1 September. Dylan Hartley Born: Rotorua, New Zealand Age: 27 England caps: 47 Hartley became England's third most capped hooker when he made his 47th appearance in the 30-3 defeat by Wales at the Millennium Stadium on 16 March A Lions statement said: "The British and Irish Lions have been informed of the sanction imposed on Dylan Hartley by an RFU disciplinary panel. Warren Gatland and his fellow coaches will now consider all their options before making any further announcement. Ulster and Ireland hooker Rory Best is now favourite to replace Hartley on the Lions tour. An RFU statement said: "At the hearing Dylan Hartley pleaded not guilty but the panel found him guilty and determined that this was mid-range on the scale of seriousness. The entry point for mid-range is a suspension of 12 weeks and that was reduced by one week to reflect his good conduct at the hearing. Hartley, 27, claims he was talking to Tigers hooker Tom Youngs and not referee Barnes. Hartley had already been warned by Barnes for speaking out of turn, before the dismissal late in the first half of Leicester's 37-17 win at Twickenham. Hartley could have could have become England captain in 2012 but missed out after being given an eight-week ban for biting Ireland's Stephen Ferris. That ban ended his chances of making England's squad for the that year's World Cup.