Rowan Stringer's father 'disturbed' and 'confused' by coach testimony

Gordon Stringer is "disturbed" nobody told him about a meeting between his daughter Rowan and one of her rugby coaches before Rowan suffered a fatal head blow in 2013, the coroner's inquest heard on Tuesday.

Leah Dobbin testified on the inquest's sixth day about her discussion with Rowan Stringer that focused on general wellness.

The conversationalso featured questions from a concussion checklist supplied by the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, including whether Stringer had a headache, dizziness or nausea.

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Dobbintold the inquest she "didn't know a lot about concussions"when she spoke toStringer before the high school rugby match on May 8, 2013. She also said she didn't take notes about the discussion.

"My memory is foggy because that day was quite traumatic," Dobbin testified.

Stringer, 17, died after suffering a third concussion in less than a week when her head and neck struck the ground.

Stringer died in hospital four days later from Second Impact Syndrome, where a pre-existing injuryfollowed by another head blow cancause death.

On Tuesday, Dobbin did recount some of Rowan Stringer's comments before the final game.

"Rowan said, 'No I'm just tired, I'm okay to play,"Dobbintold the inquest, adding the Grade 12 studentblamed a busy week for her fatigue.

Later, Gordon Stringer exercised his right to question Dobbin, telling her that he and his wife Kathleennever knew she talked to their daughter before the game and he was "confused" by her inability to remember the day's events.

Dobbin, who is also a teacher at John McCrae Secondary School,had tears in her eyes as Stringer delivered pointed questions and she fought to hold back tearsas coroner's counsel Mark Moorsquestioned her earlier Tuesday.

'She's being attacked,' lawyer says

She testified she could not remember exactly what she learnedduring a rugby safety course, butMoors pushed the envelope, which drew the ire of the school board's lawyer, Roger Mills.

Mills interjected, which is rare at a coroner's inquest, and accused Moors of "beating up" onDobbin.

"He keeps drilling into her. I submit she's being attacked," Mills told coroner LouiseMcNaughton-Filion.

Moors argued he was just testing her ability to recall events for the jury's sake, but the coroner urged him to avoid repetition in his questions.

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The inquestis examining the circumstances surrounding Stringer's death, including areas of head injury recognition in high school field sports. The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.

• On mobile?Tap here to follow Day 6 of the rugby death inquest.