Marc Richards and Doug Loft scored in the first half before Rigg finished off any hope Rovers had of a late comeback in the 3-0 triumph.
The game started at a frenetic pace, the home side making much of the early runnings, though they found themselves unable to get an effort in on goal. After the clock had ticked over ten minutes Vale began to exert control over the game, Rigg firing wide from the edge of the area, before Rovers resistance was broken in the 19th minute.
The visitors broke down the right-hand side, Tom Pope finding space in the penalty area, squaring the ball for Richards. The former Barnsley striker spun on the spot, sending Rovers defender Cian Bolger flailing, and beat Scott Bevan with a low effort.
Ollie Norburn, making his first start for the home side, found himself unable to adapt to the pace of the play and was replaced by Joe Anyinsah with just 32 minutes gone. The change, however, made little difference, a further Rigg shot preceding Vale's second, though it didn't come without a large slice of luck.
Central midfielder Doug Loft collected the ball in the middle third and was allowed to push forward unchallenged, his eventual long range shot taking a hefty deflection, helping it loop up and over Bevan's head for his fifth goal of the season.
Conceding the second appeared to kick Rovers into life as they ended the half on top, Scott Rendell seeing his strike blocked prior to each full back taking their chances from distance, Lee Brown and Dan Woodards forcing Stuart Tomlinson into making saves. Scott McGleish's header went wide of the left hand post to end the opening period with the Bristolians in the ascendancy.
Anyinsah and Matt Harrold tried their luck as the second half began, though neither could hit the target with a volley and glancing header respectively. The introduction of Mustapha Carayol, in place of Woodards, gave Rovers an added spark down the left hand side and the winger made an immediate impact, giving Tomlinson more work in the Port Vale goal.
The substitution did, however, mean that Matt Gill had to move from midfield to right back, taking away much of the creativity from the heart of the home side, gradually allowing the Valiants to wrestle back control of the match.
The ever-menacing Rigg continued to test Bevan while Anyinsah lashed a volley over the crossbar at the other end before the former had the last word, jinking inside of makeshift midfielder Rendell before driving left-footed into the top corner of the Rovers goal, leaving Paul Buckle's team to exit the field to a chorus of boos from the home supporters.
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