TRANSFER | Local lad returns to Leicester Tigers

Monday, 03 August 2020 at 18:56

bySteven Smith

Leicester Tigers have signed front-rower Ryan Bower.

Bower made his professional rugby debut as a 19-year-old for Leicester against Ospreys in 2010, a year after graduating from the Tigers Academy.

He played his junior rugby at Hinckley and represented England at three age levels up to Under-20s.

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Bower spent the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons on loan at Nottingham Rugby from Tigers before joining Worcester Warriors for the start of the 2014/15 campaign, having made seven senior appearances for Leicester.

In six seasons at Worcester, he made first-team 105 appearances.

Speaking about the addition of Bower, Leicester Tigers Director of Rugby Geordan Murphy said: “Ryan is well known to many at Tigers and we are glad to see him back with us in Leicester.

“He is a local lad who understands what being a Leicester Tigers player is about and returns to the club after some impressive seasons away with Worcester, where he grew into a senior member of the Warriors club.

“Ryan adds valuable depth in our front-row stocks and is the type of player we are interested in having here at Tigers, who work hard and are committed to what we are building here in Leicester.”

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UPDATED | British & Irish Lions predicted 2021 starting XV, according to the bookies

Odds are accurate on Wednesday,3rd July, 8am, and are subject to change.

Fullback: LIAM WILLIAMS (Wales 4/7)

Other contenders: Stuart Hogg (Scotland 4/6), Jordan Larmour (Ireland EVS), Leigh Halfpenny (Wales 5/1), George Furbank (England 7/2)

Left wing: JONNY MAY (England 1/25)

Other contenders: Jacob Stockdale (Ireland 1/3), Adam Radwan (England 40/1), Jack Nowell (England 11/4), Louis Rees-Zammit (Wales 13/8)

Outside-centre: JONATHAN DAVIES (Wales 1/3)

Other contenders: Henry Slade (England 5/6), Garry Ringshow (Ireland 4/6), Jonathan Joseph (England 13/8), Chris Harris (Scotland 20/1), Huw Jones (Scotland 6/1)

Inside-centre: MANU TUILAGI (England 1/3)

Other contenders: Robbie Henshaw (Ireland 5/6), Hadleigh Parkes (Wales 5/4), Sam Johnson (Scotland 9/2)

Right wing: JOSH ADAMS (Wales 1/18)

Other contenders: Anthony Watson (England 4/6), George North (Wales 2/1), Elliot Daly (England 10/11), Joe Cokanasiga (England 3/1), Keith Earls (Ireland 9/2)

Fly-half: OWEN FARRELL (England 1/25)

Other contenders: Johnny Sexton (Ireland 1/2), Dan Biggar (Wales 8/15), Finn Russell (Scotland 3/1), Marcus Smith (England 8/1)

Scrum-half: CONOR MURRAY (Ireland 4/6)

Other contenders: Tomos Williams (Wales 5/4), Ben Youngs (England 6/4), Ali Price (Scotland 2/1)

Looshead-prop: MAKO VUNIPOLA (England 4/6)

Other contenders: Ellis Genge (England 1/3), Cian Healy (Ireland 5/6), Joe Marler (England 5/2)

Hooker: JAMIE GEORGE (England 1/10)

Other contenders: Luke Cowan-Dickie (England 4/6), Ken Owens (Wales 7/4), Stuart McInally (Scotland 7/2)

Tighthead-prop: Tadhg Furlong (Ireland 1/15)

Other contenders: Kyle Sinckler (England 1/5), Tomas Francis (Wales 11/8), Harry Williams (England 5/1)

Lock: MATO ITOJE (England 1/10)

Other contenders: James Ryan (Ireland 1/5), Jonny Gray (Scotland 8/11)

Lock: ALUN WYN JONES (Wales 1/5)

Other contenders: Iain Henderson (Ireland 4/6), Courtney Lawes (England 5/4), George Kruis (England 7/2), Jean Kleyn (Ireland 33/1), Richie Gray (Scotland 5/1)