Zac Ward to soon find out on future with Ulster

Michael Bolton

Ulster trialist Zac Ward expects to soon learn if he has earned a contract with the province.

The Irish Sevens player starred at the Olympics for Ireland, and earned a three-month trial with Ulster.

After playing in pre-season friendlies for the province, the 25-year-old impressed on the Emerging Ireland tour in South Africa earlier this month, where he scored a try in the opening game against the Pumas.

Speaking on the move from Sevens to 15s, Ward said it has been an interesting but challenging move.

"It has been interesting. When I first got asked about it, I thought the transition to the wing would be pretty straight forward, it would be a similar switchover, but it has been far from the case.

"It has been quite challenging, just learning the intricanes of back field cover and stuff like that. I have a lot of good coaches, and the players have been really helpful, so it is starting to click for me now.

"I think from speaking with Richie (Murphy) and Brendan Cunningham, in the next week or two weeks I will know what the planning is going forward.

"Hopefully they have seen enough to warrant me staying on."

While Ulster have had a mixed start to the season, the performance of some players has been a brought spark for the province.

The return to form of Jacob Stockdale has been a standout for the province, and Ward has praised him for advice he has given him to his start at 15 a side rugby.

"Jacob has been really, really good for myself. After a lot of training sessions, he came up to me and said, listen I noticed you did this at training or in the game, maybe try this, or this is what I think.

"I think he is trying to kind of understand how I would see the game. He is keeping me right with a lot of things which is really good, he is asking me questions, and I am asking him questions. We are actually getting a really good relationship built with each other, we are just both trying to get as good as possible.

It has been a non-stop year for Ward, as one of the stars for the Ireland Sevens team, as they finished sixth in Paris

While it was not to be on the medal podium, Ward was grateful to have become an Olympian, and be around so many fanout athletes.

"It still hasn't really sunk in. I plan to get my tattoo of the ring this week, so that will make it a little bit more real as well. The whole experience was incredible.

"It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and one I will always look back on with found memories.

"Every single day you would see someone who you have grown up seeing on the world stage. The big ones for me were I would be sitting having my lunch, and Noah Lyles would be two or three seats up.

"I would be filing my water bottle up and Nadal and Alcarez would be beside me, Nadal would be asking what sport I was doing. There was little things like that were you would say, woah, this is real."