From pitch to pilot - Crean aims high with Ulster
With one eye on silverware with Ulster and another on obtaining a pilot's licence, prop Sam Crean is aiming to end the season on a high.
Sam Crean made his stay at Ulster permanent after he joined on an initial short-term deal [Getty Images] 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.
" How Sexton transformed Ulster's attack with 'real clarity' No scars and a reset - how Ulster's fortunes changed Ulster centre McCloskey out 'for a number of weeks' 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.