The Proten Cup men’s representative side played their first game since 2019 on Saturday against Group 7s second division Regan Cup team.

Despite a few players pulling out before the game the team travelled to Grenfell with a full 18-player team.

Regan Cup started with spreading the ball to their left side often, and midway through the first half found their way over after several sets on Proten Cup’s line.

Proten began with several attacking chances but an intercept led to a long race downfield, ending with Regan spreading the ball to the other wing to hit the lead.

Afterwards Proten could not regain momentum, and the superior fitness of the Group 7 side led to two more tries and a 26-10 win.

Best on-field was named Noah Forbutt, with two try assists, a full game at hooker and a fair bit of blood loss from a hit in the nose and a split above the eye.

Despite the loss, the day was deemed successful and both teams are hopeful the fixture goes ahead again next season.

KNOCKOUT KICKS OFF SEASON THIS SATURDAY

The annual Proten Cup knockout is back for its eighth iteration this weekend at Goolgowi, who host the fixture for the second time, after first hosting in 2019.

The knockout will go ahead without Barellan, who pulled out both their mens and womens teams two weeks ago, with the Rankins Springs mens team also declining to participate due to numbers concerns, choosing to pull their side out before the draw was advertised.

Of the teams competing, only Hillston and Ivanhoe have won the men’s knockout before, Hillston all the way back in 2018 and Ivanhoe when they hosted the day in 2023.

Departed team Narrandera won in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2025, while Barellan won in 2024. In the previous women’s knockouts, a combined Narrandera/Rankins Springs team won the first in 2022, with Barellan winning in 2023, 24 and 25.