By the turn of the century, and with his rugby playing career behind him, Coles continued his connection with the sport by refereeing matches. His refereed two international matches, the Wales vs. Ireland game of the 1903 Home Nations Championship and the Scotland vs. Ireland encounter of the 1905 Championship. He also refereed at club and county level, and was chosen to officiate the match between New Zealand and Devonshire in 1905.
On 25 October 1905, Coles became the first paid Secretary of the Rugby Football Union, replacing George Rowland Hill. He continued in the role for three seasons.
Cricket career.
Coles first played cricket for Rugby School, and was part of the Rugby XI who played Marlborough at Lord's in 1882 and 1883. Although Coles played cricket for Oxford University in 1885, he never played in the University Match and therefore did not win a sporting 'Blue' in cricket. In 1885 he first played for Sussex. In a minor match in 1892 he opened the batting with Stanley Colman and their first wicket stand was 472, the record partnership for any wicket in all grades of cricket at that time.