Gloucester Rugby is preparing to complete its summer coaching revamp with the anticipated appointment of Ryan Bower as the club’s scrum coach, further solidifying Leicester Tigers’ influence at Kingsholm.
Earlier this year, Gloucester undertook significant coaching changes by bringing in Brett Deacon from Leicester Tigers as the new forwards coach. Deacon, a former teammate of Bower at Welford Road, joined Gloucester following the departure of Trevor Woodman. Woodman, a World Cup-winning prop renowned for nurturing Gloucester’s formidable scrum, left after his contract was not renewed. He has since moved to Connacht Rugby in the United Rugby Championship to continue his role as scrum coach.
According to RugbyPass, Gloucester are now set to appoint Ryan Bower, a former loosehead prop with nearly 200 Premiership appearances, as their new scrum specialist. At just 35, Bower has prepared for coaching through roles including scrum and breakdown coach at Hartpury RFC, head coach of Hartpury College’s U17s, and contributor to Gloucester’s academy training programs.
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Bower’s playing career included stints at Leicester Tigers, Worcester Warriors, London Irish, and the Dallas Jackals in the USA’s Major League Rugby. His experience and recent coaching development make him a strong candidate to enhance Gloucester’s scrum performance.
The club has seen several coaching adjustments over the past year: George Skivington transitioned from director of rugby back to head coach, Chris Boyd joined as technical director, Rob Burgess returned as general manager of rugby, and Joel Tomkins was appointed as defence coach.
An official announcement regarding Bower’s appointment is expected soon, finalizing Gloucester’s refreshed coaching team at Kingsholm.