Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery has announced his retirement from rugby union with immediate effect because of injury.

The 33-year-old Flannery has failed to recover from a back problem, which came soon after he was forced out of last year’s World Cup when his long-standing calf injury flared up.

Flannery made 41 appearances for Ireland, playing a key role in the team’s Grand Slam success in the Six Nations in 2009, and won the Heineken Cup twice with Irish provincial club Munster.

Flannery said on Wednesday: “I feel incredibly privileged to have played with so many great players with Munster and with Ireland.”