RAPHOE HOCKEY CLUB’S senior XI have been promoted to the Ulster Premier League.
A meeting of the Ulster Hockey committee last night deemed that Richard Tinney’s team have been elevated into the top flight for the first time in their history.
Raphoe were set to take on Portadown in a promotion-relegation play-off on Wednesday night in Cookstown.
However, Portadown, who finished bottom of this season’s Premier League, have been given a reprieve and will also play Premier League hockey next season, as will Raphoe, who came second behind Banbridge in Senior One this season.
They defeated Rainey 3-1 on penalty strokes last month after a scoreless draw, a result that put them ahead of Rainey into second place.
The decision to put both Raphoe and Portadown into next season’s Premier League comes on the back of Belfast Harlequins’ qualification for the Irish Hockey League, which left the Premier League a team short.
Raphoe played in Senior One for the first time this season – and their best-ever season has just ended in the best-possible fashion.
