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Bath flanker Francois Louw has signed a new contract at the Premiership club.

The South Africa international, 30, signed for Bath in 2011 and will remain at The Rec until at least 2019.

He has made 52 Premiership appearances, and won 43 caps for the Springboks - most recently at the World Cup.

"I'm really excited to have extended my stay at Bath," said Louw. "It is a great environment to be involved in and also, importantly, my family are very happy and settled in the city."

He added: "Everyone is committed to improving and being the best they can be here, and I'm looking forward to the next few years and playing my part in the club's future."

Mike Ford was delighted to secure the services of Louw for an extended period.

"Francois is one of the best players in the world, and we're obviously delighted that he's staying with us," said head coach Mike Ford.

"His playing ability speaks for itself, but he also brings huge amounts of leadership, experience and intelligence to the club off the field, which are invaluable as we continue to develop."