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Finding a permanent position on the field is normally an evolving process for most soccer players. For Victoria Highlanders goalkeeper Elliot Mitrou, it was a matter of forgetting his shirt.

In an inaugural season, firsts come fast and furious, and the Victoria HarbourCats will record two back-to-back. The first rain-out in team history was Thursday with the scheduled game against the Bells in Bellingham washed out.

Bellingham is a city across the strait many Islanders know because of mall shopping, cheap Vegas and Hawaii flights out of the airport, or simply barreling through on I-5 on the way to Seattle. But sporting connections are surprisingly few.

Two young rugby players from Esquimalt are headed to sunny California to learn tricks of the trade. Colton Bottaro and Hunter Grant were named winners Wednesday of bursaries to attend the UCLA Bruins’ prestigious summer rugby camp in Los Angeles.

Part of the mandate the new Victoria Grizzlies ownership group — Vancouver Island Sports and Entertainment Ltd. — adopted in taking over the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Hockey League club last season, along with a winning record, was more local content.

It seemed an ambitious bit of scheduling, when first announced by Rugby sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ in Langford, and it turned out to be just that.

Coaching doesn’t rate high on the list of professions offering job security.

Because the Victoria HarbourCats fattened up with five wins against the last-place Kelowna Falcons (2-8) in their first nine games, some observers can be excused for wondering just how good the squad is or can be.

Before the hectic summer international rugby season began, Canadian head coach Kieran Crowley of Mill Bay said shrewd player management would be the key to success.

Having earned his MBA from the University of Victoria in 2010, Anthony Vella is aware of Victoria’s history in basketball, which includes the Vikes’ national championship dynasty of the 1980s and numerous Olympians produced.