Dallas Signs Former Leicester Tiger and Worcester Warrior Ryan Bower

The Dallas Jackals are happy to announce Ryan Bower has signed to join the squad! Former Leicester Tiger and Worcester Warrior, Bower adds more international experience to the squad.

Bower joined the Premiership Leicester Tigers Academy at 16 where he honed his skills for three years. In that time, he was selected for the U16 and U18 England squads. At 19, Bower joined the Leicester Tiger senior team, making his Premiership debut at 19 years old. 

Growing up in Hinckley, Leicestershire, Bower began playing rugby at four years old for Hinckley RC. He attended John Cleveland College where his team got to play at Twickenham Stadium twice in the Daily Mail Vase Finals. 

In 2011, Bower again represented England on the U20 side, winning the U20 Six Nations Championship and made it to the IRB Junior World Championship final. 

Bower made nine appearances for the Leicester Tigers assisting the squad to winning the 2012 Premiership title and the A-League Final twice. For the 2011/12 and 2012/23 RFU Championships, Bower played with Nottingham RC on loan. 

Moving within the Premiership, Bower joined the Worcester Warriors in 2014 where he went on to make 106 appearances over six years. 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. 

Bower then moved back to Leicester in 2020 where he hit a milestone of playing his 50th Premiership game. 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. 

“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 really considered approach in our conversations and his desire to be a part of a journey where we develop domestic talent really stood out and I know he’ll be a hugely positive influence as we enter our first Jackals season!”

Welcome to the Pack Ryan!

Join the Pack today with Season Tickets! Learn more here

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About Dallas Jackals —

The Dallas Jackals are a professional rugby team of Major League Rugby (MLR), the highest level of rugby competition in North America. The Jackals were named as an expansion team in 2020 and will play their inaugural season in 2022. The team’s central mission is to develop domestic talent to a world-class level of play and professionalism while strengthening the high- performance pathway in DFW by supporting the local clubs. Through proactive Community Outreach, the Jackals will exemplify and spread the passion of rugby by inspiring tradition, respect, family, and character on and off the pitch.

About MLR —

Major League Rugby is a professional sports league entering its fifth season and represents the highest level of rugby competition in North America. The League evolved from seven teams in 2018, to 13 teams in 2022, featuring 12 from the United States and one from Canada. Matches are televised on CBS Sports Network, Fox Sports 2, and ESPN+, among other national and local market platforms. All matches are available on Facebook Live for international fans. MLR prides itself in fostering intense and high-stakes competition, while bringing together a passionate community built on the values of Respect, Inclusivity, and Tradition. For more information about MLR, visit MajorLeague.Rugby.