| Full name | Vincent Hope Middleton Coates | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 18 May 1889 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 14 November 1934 (aged 45) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Maidenhead, England | ||||||||||||||||
| School | Monkton Combe School Haileybury College | ||||||||||||||||
| University | Caius College, Cambridge | ||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Physician | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
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Vincent Hope Middleton Coates (18 May 1889 – 14 November 1934) was an English international rugby union player.
Coates grew up in Somerset, attending Monkton Combe School. He completed his secondary education at Haileybury College and went on to Caius College, Cambridge, where he gained his blues for rugby.[1]
As a winger, Coates formed a three-quarter partnership at Bath with his brother Norman, who was a centre. He debuted for Somerset as a 17 year old and gained 20 county caps through his career, which included the captaincy between 1911 and 1913. His five England caps all came in 1913, debuting against the touring Springboks at Twickenham. He contributed six tries in England's grand slam-winning Five Nations campaign, with a hat-trick against France at Twickenham, as well a one try in their first ever win over Wales in Cardiff.[1]
Coates served in France as an officer with the Royal Army Medical Corps during World War I and was awarded the Military Cross in 1916, for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty while under heavy shell fire.[2]
A consulting physician and cardiological specialist, Coates worked with various institutions in South West England until his death in 1934, when he fell from a moving train. His death was ruled accidental by the coroner.[3]