A city boy who honed his chops playing with the Vic High Tyees, Brian Robinson was destined for greater things in soccer. A Vic West club player who toiled in the summer Pacific Coast League for Victoria United, later the Victoria O'Keefes, Robinson got his first taste of international soccer at age 16 in 1969 when the O'Keefes hosted West Bromwich Albion from England's first division. He graduated through the ranks, from the Victoria Royals semi-pro side to the B.C. Selects and finally hooked up with the Canadian national team. The speedy midfielder earned his first cap in 1972 in an Olympic qualifying match against Mexico and would be capped 40 times. After helping Victoria's London Boxing Club win a Canadian title in 1974, he played a pro season with the Vancouver Whitecaps. But injuries cut his season short and he came home to coach the Victoria Athletics. He wasn't done playing, however, and in 1978 rejoined the national team as they competed in the World Cup qualifier. He was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006.

For a team that won just two games in its debut season in the B.C. inter-city league, it didn't take long for the Victoria Rawlings to gel as a unit. Led by Mary Coutts and newcomer Dianne Doyle, the club posted a major turnaround in year two, sweeping league, B.C. and Canadian championship honours in 1967-68. They say repeating as a champion is always tougher, and the Victoria ladies, renamed the Maplettes, did so despite having only four returning players and a new coach, Jack Lusk. After an up-and-down season they peaked at the right time, earning second place with a key win over UVic, then dispatching the Vikettes for the league crown. After rolling to the B.C. title, Victoria won its second national banner on home court. Two seasons later the Maplettes were a powerhouse, losing just one regular season game and representing B.C. at the 1971 Canada Winter Games. While they lost the gold to Ontario, they avenged the loss with a win in that year's Canadian final.