Portadown 1XV continued their strong start to the Championship 1 campaign with a 36–24 bonus-point victory away to Cooke RFC. Portadown 1XV, side followed up their opening-day win over champions Dromore with another impressive performance, this time showing both ruthless finishing and gritty resilience when tested.

From the opening whistle, Portadown established dominance. The players carried hard through the middle, sucking in defenders and creating space out wide. After a series of pick-and-go phases on the Cooke line, John McQuitty forced his way over to open the scoring.

Confidence was high, and soon after, a flowing move through the backs released Michael Orr, who cut a sharp line and accelerated clear for the second try. Before the break, Ben MacKinnon added the fourth try, capitalising on good field position and strong support running to crash over and secure the bonus point inside 40 minutes. The half-time whistle went with Portadown fully in control and leading 0–24.

The restart saw a shift in momentum. Cooke came out energised and, roared on by the home support, got their first try early in the half to cut into the deficit. Their confidence grew when James Wright was shown a yellow card, leaving Portadown a man down.

placeholder image — Potadown Seconds beat Malone 3s

Cooke moved the ball quickly to the wings and made the most of the overlap to run in further points, bringing themselves back into the contest. Niall Davison steadied nerves with a well-struck penalty to extend the lead and halt Cooke’s momentum.

A second-half try from Portadown , the result of patient build-up and excellent support play , pushed the visitors out of sight, though Cooke never stopped battling. Their persistence was rewarded with a late try deep into injury time, securing a losing bonus point and giving their supporters something to cheer at the close. Full Time Cooke RFC 24 – 36 Portadown RFC

Portadown left Shaws Bridge with the maximum five points, maintaining a perfect start.

Man of the Match Taylor Tweedie

Rainey Family in the Portadown 2s team Father manager and 3 players

A big day for the 2’s today with a strong team performance and a well-earned win, PRFC 2XV 24-to Malone RFC. 10. It was made even more special by the sight of the three Rainey brothers lining up together, a proud moment for the family and for the club. That pride was shared with their dad, who also plays his part as Team Manager, showing once again how much family sits at the heart of what we do.

The Portadown 3s 34 Lisburn 3s 27