We are delighted to confirm the signing of established second-rower Connor Bower on a two-year deal following his departure from fellow Championship side Sheffield Eagles.
Connor, 29, has over 160 appearances at Championship and League One level but has spent the majority of his career with the Eagles, where he made almost 110 appearances during his seven seasons with the club.
He started his professional career at Super League side Hull FC, and would make his professional debut at just 19 years old for then-League One side York Knights in a 24-4 away win over Hunslet Hawks (as they then were) in 2016. He would make five appearances for the Knights, scoring one try, before being sent on loan to Hemel Stags for the 2017 season where his solitary try in six appearances would come against none other than Coventry Bears.
His efforts on loan would attract the attention of then-League One side Doncaster RLFC, where he signed an initial one-year deal for the 2018 season. Scoring 7 tries in 16 appearances at centre – including two against the Bears – he earned himself a further year at the Dons for the 2019 season that would see him net 14 tries in 28 appearances.
Connor would then swap Doncaster for South Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Eagles, where he has stayed since the shortly lived 2020 Championship campaign. The COVID-pandemic (in 2020) and a pre-season knee injury (in 2021) limited him to 17 games during those seasons, but since 2022 – and a shift from centre to second-row – Bower established himself as a fan favourite at the Eagles for his powerful runs and ability to create despite being in the forward pack.
With his most prolific try-scoring season for the Eagles just behind him (8 tries in 26 games), Connor has swapped South Yorkshire for the Second City as he joins a skilful and competitive engine room for at least the next two seasons.
Connor had this to say on his move to Birmingham:
I’m really excited to be joining the Hurricanes for the next two years.
I’ve been keeping an eye on the club in recent seasons and – looking back at the solid work and the steady growth of the club over the previous couple of years – the opportunity was perfect timing for me to get stuck in and hopefully make my mark.
I can’t wait to get started and meet the lads as Pre-Season creeps up on us.
Men’s Head Coach Mark Dunning had this to say on landing Connor:
We’re delighted to welcome Connor and his family to the club.
Connor is a player I have admired for a while and I feel is entering the prime of his career, so to be able to tie him up for two years is great for me and the club.
He’s a hard working, skillful back rower who also offers versatility across the field. His leadership having been around the top end of Championship for a number of years will be huge for the boys, in particular those younger members of the squad who he will be an excellent role model for.
The Canes faithful will quickly warm to him I’m sure, and we look forward to seeing what he can do on the pitch for Birmingham.
Connor becomes our SECOND piece of new signing news for 2027 (after Battye’s announcement yesterday) and our fourth bit of squad news as the off-season comes to a close. There’s still plenty left for us to reveal in the coming weeks, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for more news.
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