Ward driven to achieve Ireland dream after 'surreal' 2024

Investec Champions Cup: Leicester v Ulster

Venue: Welford Road, Leicester Date: Saturday, 11 January Kick-off: 20:00 GMT

Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, Radio Leicester & Radio Ulster; text updates on BBC Sport website & app

Life has moved fast for Zac Ward over the past 12 months.

This time last year, he was preparing for the start of a big year with the Ireland Sevens team in Perth.

One of Ireland's standout players in the shorter code, he realised a dream in the summer when he became an Olympian.

While that journey ended in heartache with a quarter-final loss to Fiji crushing any hopes of leaving Paris with a medal, Ward had no time to dwell on anguish as he answered Ulster's call.

Taken on by the province on a trial basis, Ward found himself back in green before donning the white jersey as part of the Emerging Ireland series in South Africa.

Having banked valuable 15s experience, he has continued to tick personal accomplishments off his checklist, with an Ulster debut against Bordeaux quickly followed by a three-year deal that will keep him at the province until 2028.

Now, with a "surreal" 2024 in his rearview mirror and having sorted his future, the 26-year-old is determined to achieve new goals and scale new heights as he forges a new path as a 15s winger.

"My goal is definitely to play at the highest level I can," Ward told BBC Sport NI.

"I've worn the green jersey playing in the Sevens and the Olympics, so my next goal is to wear the green jersey in 15s."

Naturally, Ward laces any Ireland chat with caution.

By his own admission, he still has a lot to learn as a 15s winger, knowledge that will be best gained from adding to his two caps for the province, scoring tries and winning games.

But he feels he is "slowly getting there" and appears to have been buoyed by a positive appraisal from Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby at the end of the Emerging Ireland tour.

"One thing that has definitely stuck with me, he said 'you have a really high ceiling, so don't aim small'," recalls Ward, the son of former Ireland and Ulster flanker Andy Ward.

"That was great for me. I'm definitely someone who thrives off confidence from coaches. Just getting that little bit of reassurance from him was huge for me."

While the Six Nations will likely come too soon in his development, Ward has enough on his plate at Ulster for the next while with Saturday's trip to Leicester currently uppermost in his thoughts.

After a couple of crushing defeats by Toulouse and Bordeaux, Ulster need a positive result at Welford Road but Ward - who missed the vital festive win at Connacht because of injury - feels the squad are galvanised by their underdog tag against Leicester.

"I think one or two have maybe already written us off for the game, which we kind of love," he explained.

"Myself anyway, I'm relishing that. Going in as underdogs, you have no expectations, you just go in and fire any shot that you want.

"I'm looking forward to it and hopefully can get over the tryline myself because as a winger that'd kind of expected and get my first win as an Ulster player."