The Dallas Jackals signed Ryan Bower for the 2022 Major League Rugby season. The 30-year-old loosehead prop, who has played tighthead, (31 in February) is 6’0″ and 250 lbs.
Ryan is from Nuneaton, England, and played junior rugby with Hinckley Rugby Football Club since he was four years old. He attended John Cleveland College, where he played rugby from 2005-2009, where his team got to play at Twickenham Stadium twice in the Daily Mail Vase Finals.
He joined the Premiership Leicester Tigers Academy at 16, playing for three years. While there, he was selected for the U16 and U18 England squads.
He attended Loughborough College from 2010-2012, earning a Foundation Degree in Sports and Exercise. From 2018-2020 he earned a Sports Science Degree, in Sports Coaching and Teaching.
While attending Loughborough, he made his senior Leicester Tigers debut against the Ospreys in the LV-Cup in November 2010. He continued to train with the team for the 2011-12, and 2012-13 seasons, while on loan to Nottingham RFC in the RFU Championship.
In 2011, Bower again represented England on the U20 side, winning the U20 Six Nations Championship and making it to the IRB Junior World Championship final.
From 2014-2020 he made 106 appearances for the Worcester Warriors. In his first season, the Warriors won the English Championship and British and Irish Cup. Bower was selected to play for the Championship Team of the Year, beating Canada, and later chosen to Captain the Worcester team in six European fixtures and A-League games.
Ryan signed again with the Leicester Tigers for the 2020-2021 season and celebrated a milestone of playing in his 50th Premiership match. He also was named Leicester Academy Forwards Coach, coaching U16-18 players against other Premiership academy clubs. In August of 2021, Bower signed with Premiership’s London Irish.
Dallas Jackals Comments
“The most exciting thing about joining the Jackals is the fact the team is brand new,” Bower said. “Coming from England where most rugby clubs have so much history, we can be the first ones to create history for the club and shape how the future of the club will look.”
He continued, “It’s going to be brilliant to experience the MLR with the new clubs and players to play against and to learn from new experiences. Hopefully, I will be able to bring my years of Premiership experience over to the team and be able to keep training and game standards high.”
In his spare time, Bower enjoys playing golf and traveling with his wife, Chloe. He looks forward to seeing American sports, visiting AT&T Stadium, and experiencing the Dallas food scene.
Jackals GM Elaine Vassie said, “With over 10 years of professional experience, that saw him play on both sides of the scrum, Ryan comes with incredibly valuable on-field expertise. His considered approach in our conversations and his desire to be a part of a journey where we develop domestic talent stood out and I know he’ll be a hugely positive influence as we enter our first Jackals season!”
Welcome to the Pack Ryan!
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