Oct 31,2024
Ulster triallist Zac Ward expects to learn soon if he has earned a contract with the province and says his full focus is on the 15s game.
Ward was the standout Ireland Sevens player from the Paris Olympics and began a three-month trial with Richie Murphy's side in mid-August.
The 25-year-old featured in pre-season friendlies and did his chances no harm with a strong showing on the Emerging Ireland tour in South Africa earlier this month.
Not only did he score the first try in the opening game against the Airlink Pumas, he did so while bedding into a new position on the wing.
Prior to his Seven career, Ward, son of former Ireland international Andy, was a back rower, standing 6ft 3in and weighing over 15st.
"The lifestyle of Sevens is phenomenal, but I've ticked every box I wanted to tick with Sevens so now it's a matter of a new set of goals, let's go and chase these with 15s.
"With Ulster, hopefully we'll find out in the next week or so what the long-term future holds but I think for myself anyway I just want to give it a real good crack and try and create a nice career in 15s."
Ward was approached about a move to 15s ahead of the Olympic Games, with Ulster Rugby head of operations Bryn Cunningham proposing that he explore his potential as a winger.
"I thought it was a joke at the start, to be honest, because before I went into play Sevens I was a back rower," said Ward, who scored two tries for Ballynahinch against Garryowen in the AIL at the weekend.
"I know every back rower thinks they can play as a winger so when I had the opportunity, I was like, 'oh, here we go, I'm living the dream now’.
"It's been really enjoyable so far. I have a lot to still learn and the coaches both at Ulster and with the Emerging [Ireland] tour been really good, giving me little tips just to kind of get me thinking and keep me learning.
"Both have said the same message: ‘Just do what you did in in Sevens and 15s, get the ball in your hand and go and enjoy it’.
"They're not putting too much pressure on me, which is quite nice, so it allows me to go and try and just give them my all without worrying about making too many mistakes."
On what the biggest adjustment in moving from the back row to the wing, he said: "Kicking is definitely the big one.
"I always thought I had a bit of a handy left foot but whenever I started to run with the ball and try and kick, I was like a duck out of water.
"I was horrendous so I'm still learning that. Another big one would probably be the backfield coverage just went to kind of drop or close the line and stuff like."
