UBC has, since the early 1920s, a rich history in field hockey, most of it on the women's side but on the men's side an impressive legacy as well. Some of Canada's best players played at UBC, UBC Hall of Famers David Bissett and Alan Hobkirk just to mention two. However, when it comes to profile and goal scoring ability at UBC, Victor Warren is the one who comes to mind.
Victor played at UBC during the late 1950s and early '60s, just at the dawning of the international recognition by Canada of men's field hockey – a movement in Canada spearheaded by Victor's father, Harry Warren. This would be a time when field hockey was enjoying a relatively high profile on campus and although not official, Victor is recognized as UBC's all-time leading goal scorer in this sport. In six seasons 1956/57 to 59/60, 62/63 and 63/64, Warren scored 114 goals in 92 games including an incredible 47 goals in 21 games during 57/58. He scored another 25 goals in 12 games in 59/60 before breaking his leg. Early in 1957 he set a UBC single game record by scoring five goals in a Thunderbird 10-1 victory. Later that month he scored another five goals in a 6-0 win. UBC's most prolific scorer led the team in goals three successive years, 57/58 through 59/60.
Warren was a big part of the success of the Thunderbird team during this era. He was on the Varsity team that won the Vancouver Knockout Cup in 1957 and 1964 and the Vancouver League championship in 1958, '60 and '63. Five of his six seasons saw his teams victorious in a very competitive league. Moreover he was selected to the B.C. team that six times reached the Canadian field hockey championship, winning that title four times.
A Canadian National team for men's field hockey was a concept that came into being in the early 1960s and it would be Thunderbirds such as Victor Warren, Lee Wright, John Young and Peter Buckland who would be an integral part of this team through the '60s. These four would represent Canada on many occasions but would also have the honour of playing on Canada's first Olympic field hockey team – at the '64 Olympics in Tokyo.
In addition to an integral component in Canada's entrance onto the international field hockey stage as a player, Victor has since worked to manage and build the sport. He was president of the Canadian Field Hockey Association for ten years earning Air Canada Executive of the Year honours in 1986. He was also a member of a trio who revolutionized the sport by introducing synthetic surfaces to the Olympics. He was the National teams manager during the 1970s including the team representing Canada at the 1976 Olympics and in this capacity oversaw 98 test matches. He later served as the National team's vice-president. He was a founding member of the Jokers Field Hockey Club and was also Canadian field hockey's representative on the Olympic Committee.
in 2021, Victor was acknowledged by being selected for induction into the Canadian Field Hockey Hall of Fame.
From the well-known UBC sporting family, Victor brought prestige to his sport and to UBC both as a player and as a builder.
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
