From the pitch to the skies, Ulster prop Sam Crean is soaring high this season—both on the field and in his personal ambitions. With two trophies within reach as the season heads into its thrilling final stretch, the 25-year-old has his eyes set on silverware with Ulster, while also chasing a pilot's license in his downtime.

In the high-pressure world of professional sports, finding an escape is essential. While many athletes turn to golf or other familiar hobbies, Crean has taken a more unique route. "There's lots of things outside of rugby that keep me going," he shares, highlighting his passion for 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 from flying a plane would be pretty cool."

But for now, Crean's focus is firmly grounded. United Rugby Championship leaders Glasgow Warriors visit Belfast this Friday for the final regular-season match, and Ulster needs a positive result to secure a playoff spot and Champions Cup qualification. The stakes don't stop there—just a week later, Richie Murphy's side heads to Bilbao for the Challenge Cup final against Montpellier.

"Obviously, when you start the season, you want to be in the fight for silverware," Crean says. "The fact that we've got the opportunity to potentially do that in two different competitions is something we're buzzing about. We'll relish the opportunity next week, but it's Glasgow first—we need to win this week and then hopefully take that momentum into the final."

Whether it's navigating the skies or charging through the scrum, Sam Crean is proving that aiming high can lead to incredible heights—on and off the pitch.