From pitch to pilot - Crean aims high with Ulster

With two trophies potentially on the line on the home straight, Ulster have been flying high this season.

For prop Sam Crean, he has his own additional aspirations of being in the air.

In the high pressure environment of sport, and with two huge season-defining matches in the space of a week, it can be good for athletes to take themselves out of the bubble.

While golf is a familiar hobby for many athletes, Crean says "there's lots of things outside of rugby that keep me going" - including one he describes as "niche".

The 25-year-old is working towards obtaining a pilot's licence, with the aim of flying small aircraft.

"I just think it's pretty cool how a plane can fly," Crean told BBC Sport NI.

"We're quite lucky here [at the Affidea Stadium]. We're on the flight path for Belfast City Airport, so we sometimes catch ourselves watching a plane.

"I feel like the adrenaline rush that you would get from probably flying a plane would be pretty cool."

Crean's immediate focus is a little more grounded.

United Rugby Championship leaders Glasgow Warriors visit Belfast on Friday in the final game of the regular season, and Ulster know they need a positive result to secure a play-off spot and the Champions Cup qualification that comes with it.

A week after that, Richie Murphy's side travel to Bilbao to face Montpellier in the Challenge Cup final.

"Obviously, when you start the season, you want to be in the fight for silverware.

"So the fact that we've got the opportunity to potentially do that in two different competitions is obviously something that we're buzzing about.

"We'll relish the opportunity next week when it comes, but it's Glasgow first, so we need to win this week and then hopefully put ourselves in the best position coming into the play-offs."

After he came through the academy at Saracens, Crean joined Ulster on a short-term deal at the start of 2025 but made his stay permanent ahead of the current season.

A former England Under-20 international, Crean qualifies for Ireland through ancestry and made his Ireland 'A' debut in February.

It has been some personal journey, but Ulster are also in a very different place now compared to 12 months ago when Murphy's young side finished third from bottom in the table.

While a top eight finish is not guaranteed with a game to spare, Ulster's destiny is in their own hands.

A win of any kind, by no means an easy task against league-leading Glasgow, would likely be enough to secure a top-eight finish.

Such is the congestion in the URC table, Ulster could finish anywhere between fourth and ninth.

"When we spoke at the very start, in the beginning of the pre-season, we just said that we need to have that belief that we are a good side, and that we're easily a top eight team.

"But obviously, it's all good saying it, but you need to perform like it as well. So we've probably had some fixtures this season where we haven't put our best foot forward, but In saying that, there's been some fixtures this year where we've looked unbelievable in patches."

Crean, who is named to start Friday's game, added that "confidence comes from everyone" involved with Ulster.

"It comes from the coaches and it comes from the fans," he said.

"It comes from your team-mates believing in themselves and also believing in the people next to them."