Zac Ward has signed a three-year contract with UIster which can maintain the winger on the membership till 2028.
The 26-year-old joined Ulster on a trial after impressing for the Eire Sevens aspect on the Paris Olympics in the summertime.
Ward, whose father Andy received a European Cup with UIster in 1999, made his debut for the province in final week’s Champions Cup defeat by Bordeaux.
“After the summer season Olympics in Paris, I used to be prepared for a change after some wonderful experiences with the Eire Sevens programme,” mentioned Ward, who has retained his beginning spot for Friday’s United Rugby Championship recreation with Munster.
“I at all times dreamed of taking part in for my house province as a boy, as I watched my dad play in an Ulster jersey rising up.
“I am additionally mates with a number of of the fellows who had been already within the aspect and the others had been unbelievable in welcoming me into the set-up.
“With the assistance of the coaches, gamers and employees right here, I wish to kick on and hopefully make loads of good reminiscences taking part in for Ulster.”
Ulster normal supervisor Bryn Cunningham mentioned: “We recognized Zac as any individual who might be a great addition to the Senior squad, and we now have been impressed with how he has settled into the group.
“Watching his performances within the Sevens recreation, we felt that he showcased plenty of transferable abilities for the XVs recreation, together with his strengths in ball-carrying, his velocity, aerial abilities, and try-scoring capability all robust attributes for taking part in within the backfield.
“It is also an incredible instance of somebody who hasn’t come by means of the normal route into the senior males’s aspect, so credit score to Zac and the journey he has been on.”