Sam Warburton 'fit and ready' for British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand

British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton has insisted that he is fit for the upcoming tour of New Zealand following fears over an ankle injury.

The 28-year-old, who captained the Lions in their 2-1 series win over Australia in 2013, has been on the treatment table since suffering the ankle problem in a Pro12 match against Ulster in April.

"Today I trained fully. That's all the boxes ticked, and now I can crack on," BBC Sport quotes Warburton as saying.

The Wales flanker's declaration will be a welcome boost for head coach Warren Gatland, who has a list of potential absentees from the tour due to injuries.

Billy Vunipola was forced to withdraw from the squad with a shoulder injury, while Ken Owens is a doubt due to an ankle problem.

Gatland is eagerly waiting on the fitness of Rhys Webb, Jack McGrath and Sean O'Brien, but he knows that he will be without Ben Youngs, who pulled out after learning that his brother's wife is terminally ill.