Stat Topping Ward has Silverware in his Sights

It’s been some season for Zac Ward and he’s not finished yet. The former Ireland Sevens star has made a huge impact with Ulster Rugby in his first full campaign for the province.

As well as scoring 13 tries in all competitions, the winger has also beaten more defenders (55), made more clean breaks (27) and gained more metres (960) than any other player in the BKT United Rugby Championship.

They really are remarkable figures.

His outstanding form has seen him capped by Ireland A, while he has helped Ulster push for silverware on two fronts, with some exciting times to come over the next few weeks.

They host Glasgow Warriors at Belfast’s Affidea Stadium on Friday night knowing a win will book them a place in the BKT URC Play-Offs. Then, the following weekend, they take on Montpellier in the EPCR Challenge Cup final in Bilbao. For the 27-year-old Ward, these are heady days indeed.

It’s certainly been some journey for him.

The son of former Ireland international Andy Ward, he began his senior rugby career with County Down club Ballynahinch, packing down in his dad’s old position of flanker. In 2021, he was called up to the Ireland Sevens squad and went on to feature in the World Series and then the 2024 Olympics in Paris where he impressed on the way to the quarter-finals.

That led to him joining Ulster on a trial basis at the start of last season, switching to the wing and making his competitive debut in December 2024 ahead of signing a three-year contract. This term, the 6ft 3ins, 16st 5lbs powerful flyer has established himself as a regular in the side, making 19 appearances and tearing things up on the stats front.

"I'm loving it. I was definitely ready for the change off the back of the Olympics and ever since I've come into Ulster I've felt really welcomed,” he said. “We’ve had a great season. There’s just been a real good buzz around the place. Everyone is on the same page and it is really enjoyable.

“We’ve got a final to look forward to, a big game this week now and then on to Bilbao.

“The last time Ulster won a bit of silverware was 2006. So it’s 20 years and it’s something really special. To be really close to being able to do that is class. For me, personally, to keep developing and trying to push us on to get silverware is pretty important.”

Ward has formed a deadly wing double act with South African Werner Kok, with the pair vying with each other near the top of the BKT URC try-scoring chart. Kok has now gone one clear on ten, having scored a hat-trick in last weekend’s 38-38 draw at home to the DHL Stormers.

“We are just enjoying playing together,” said Ward. “The guys are putting us in the right spaces and all we’ve got to do is not mess it up and fall over the line with it.”

Ward - whose younger back row brother Bryn is also part of the Ulster squad - says the team’s supporters have played a key role this season and are likely to do so again when table-topping Glasgow visit Belfast this weekend.

“They have been phenomenal,” he said. “We talk about giving the crowd something to cheer about. That’s what we always want to do. Last year, we probably made it very difficult for them to get up for us. But this year, with the brand of rugby we are playing, they are getting behind us. We want to go out there and perform for them, to fill the seats and create a real buzz around the place.”

There was certainly a buzz at the Affidea Stadium for the Challenge Cup quarter-final victory over Exeter Chiefs and then again during the nerve-jangling draw with the Stormers.

“The Exeter match was really emotionally draining,” said Ward. “We flew into that game. We gave it our all and we knew it was going to be tough to get ourselves back up, but I think we did it really well. It was a quick turnaround and we needed to get ourselves up mentally as well as physically and I thought we gave it a good shot.

“When you play against a South African team, you know the one thing they are going to bring is physicality the whole time, so we knew we had to match that for 80 minutes. I think, in the first half, we maybe weren’t up to that level just a little bit, but we got our way back into it.”

Ulster overcame a 20 minute red card for skipper Iain Henderson and a 17-7 deficit to lead 38-31 with just 45 seconds left on the clock. But, in a dramatic finale, the Stormers were awarded a penalty try which meant both sides ended up with three points.

“It was massively disappointing,” said Ward. “We had the game in our hands. We just sort of let off the gas a little bit in the last play. If you do that against a top-of-the-table side, they are going to make it count.”

These were comments echoed by flanker Nick Timoney who took over as skipper following the red card to lock Henderson. “Ultimately, we were disappointed not to win,” he said. “There was lots of good effort. Our spirit was decent. It was probably the best part of our game. We stuck in there and dealt well with being down to 14 men for 20 minutes. “Our attack was decent as well, but we need to be winning games when we score 38 points. It was obviously a disappointing finish.”

However, eighth-placed Ulster can still make the play-offs by beating Glasgow.

“It’s in our hands still,” said Timoney. “It’s closer than what we would want at this time of the year, but we need to stand up and get a result. It’s an important week.”