Cian Healy will be remaining at Leinster until after the 2019 World Cup after signing a new three-year IRFU contract.

The 28-year-old loosehead had been linked with a move to Worcester Warriors in the English Premiership.

Announcing the deal, IRFU performance director David Nucifora said: "Cian is one of the most explosive athletes in world rugby and has proven for both Ireland and Leinster his ability to compete at the highest levels of the game.

“We are delighted that Cian has committed to playing in Ireland up until after the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.”

Healy, who returned from injurt for Leinster last weekend, said: “I feel that I am coming back to full fitness now and would like to thank the medical and S&C teams for their ongoing support. There are a lot of exciting young talented players coming through at Leinster and Ireland and I am looking forward to competing for silverware over the next few seasons.”