Keith Wood has signed a new one-year contract with Harlequins which will keep him at the club until June 2003.
The 29-year-old hooker joined Quins in the summer of 1996 from Limerick club Garryowen. He became captain at Quins in the 1997/1998 season before returning to play for Munster and Garryowen in the 1999/2000 season. He went back to Quins at the start of this season.
Wood is now Ireland's most capped hooker of all time with 47 caps, and skippered the side to a famous Six Nations win over England in Dublin in October, scoring the only try at Lansdowne Road to deny Clive Woodward's side the Grand Slam.
Wood, who also has five British Lions caps to his name, made his 100th appearance for Quins earlier this season in the Heineken Cup against Castres.
"There is no doubt that Keith is a world class player, so this is fantastic news for the club," said Mark Evans, NEC Harlequins chief executive.
"He has been extremely loyal to Quins since he joined us and, apart from having tremendous footballing skills, Keith is also a great leader which makes him a vital member of our squad."
Wood will miss Saturday's clash with Zurich Premiership leaders Leicester however with a calf strain.
PA