A Break in Mendoza — Carl Igolen-Robinson
A True Story
“…cathartic, celebratory, comic, collaborative and coruscatingly emotive.”
Classification: Biography: sport
Reviews
Two rugby teams, two continents, one devastating neck injury. This is a story about the power of human friendship overcoming distance and potential disaster. The author writes with an easy style that gives insight into human resilience and the power of kindness and friendship. I read it in one sitting.
Verified Purchase
A poignant insight into a special rugby community. A really engaging book that leaves you full of admiration for Luke and the many people who where there to help him get back on his feet and back to the sport he loves.
Verified Purchase
I loved this book - it is moving and awe inspiring.... and the fact that it is based on reality, a truly incredible story. Even if you don’t have rugby playing boys in your house, you will be moved, fascinated and compelled to see how it ends... And if you do have rugby boys, then it will blow you away with worry, concern ....but mostly, hope.
There is a sprinkle of good luck, an amazing cast of characters and without giving the end away, suspense and tension. It really is a roller coaster of a read.
Verified Purchase
An outstanding story which I couldn't put down. It is written with such honesty and reflection which is both heart warming and tear jerking. Thoroughly recommended for parents and rugby/sport enthusiasts.
Verified Purchase
Very few books which I have read have been so profoundly moving and humanly felt. It is a story of love, beginning with love of rugby. I cannot recommend this book enough.
Verified Purchase
Every parent’s nightmare - send your child away on a school rugby tour and they get seriously injured - but this account is written as an almost minute by minute account by the child’s father. It’s wonderful to see how the schools both home and abroad provide such excellent physical and moral support the ordeal. However, most incredible of all is the way in which the rugby community rally round and ensure that Carl and his son receive the best possible care in every respect.
A heartwarming tale with a happy ending.
Verified Purchase
A break in Mendoza is an amazing story about an injured young rugby player Luke Igolen-Robinson. An ordinary trip turned into a nightmare. With the care of his father, the superbly kind people in Mendoza and the rugby community, he has made a full recovery. The love, passion and humanity in this book will touch your soul.
Haileybury College reciprocated the Mendocians by providing opportunities for two young pupils to study at their college. I well up every time I think of it.
If you are a rugby lover, or if you would like to discover Southern American culture, and spare a few tears, read this book.
Verified Purchase
A Break in Mendoza is an uplifting account of human goodness, recounted with a naturalness of tone which takes the reader beyond natural admiration for the protagonists to feeling that they actually know them.
Verified Purchase
Click to Share Links
Paperback eBook
Description
An uplifting real‑life sports journey about resilience, friendship, determination and the human spirit.
A Break in Mendoza is the inspiring true story memoir of 15‑year‑old Luke Igolen‑Robinson — a young English rugby player whose life changed forever when he suffered a devastating neck injury during a school tour match in Argentina. In this gripping biography and sports memoir, Luke and his father Carl face a near‑catastrophic accident in a foreign land, with language barriers, life‑altering surgery, and a seemingly impossible road to recovery.
Told from the perspective of a devoted father and educator, A Break in Mendoza captures the emotional journey of a family navigating fear, hope, uncertainty and extraordinary kindness. As the rugby community in Mendoza and beyond rallies around them, this heartfelt book becomes much more than a sports story — it’s a testament to the power of friendship, human kindness, international community and the bond between parent and child.
Perfect for readers who enjoy:
- Inspirational true‑story memoirs and real‑life courage stories
- Sports biographies, especially rugby and youth sport narratives
- Books about family resilience, overcoming adversity and recovery
- Heartfelt accounts of friendship, teamwork and human support systems
Written with emotion, honesty and reflective insight, A Break in Mendoza will appeal to sports lovers, parents, coaches, and anyone interested in moving personal stories that celebrate determination and hope. Whether you’re drawn to sports memoirs, tales of personal triumph, or real‑world inspiration, this book will stay with you long after the final page.
A powerful story of strength, community and the remarkable will to thrive — even when life takes an unexpected turn.
In support of the RFU Injured Players Foundation: rfuipf.org.uk.
Further details
279 pages
This is CARL IGOLEN-ROBINSON’s first book. The idea to put his son’s story down in writing first came to him after a chance meeting with a friend in the fixtures and fittings aisle of a DIY shop. When asked by his friend what his news was, Carl told the story. By the time he’d finished, his friend was in tears. Decision made; the story needed to be shared!
Carl is donating 100% of his royalties of the sale of this book to the RFU Injured Players Foundation.
We also publish on Amazon in their proprietary Kindle format.
Reviews
Two rugby teams, two continents, one devastating neck injury. This is a story about the power of human friendship overcoming distance and potential disaster. The author writes with an easy style that gives insight into human resilience and the power of kindness and friendship. I read it in one sitting.
Verified Purchase
A poignant insight into a special rugby community. A really engaging book that leaves you full of admiration for Luke and the many people who where there to help him get back on his feet and back to the sport he loves.
Verified Purchase
I loved this book - it is moving and awe inspiring.... and the fact that it is based on reality, a truly incredible story. Even if you don’t have rugby playing boys in your house, you will be moved, fascinated and compelled to see how it ends... And if you do have rugby boys, then it will blow you away with worry, concern ....but mostly, hope.
There is a sprinkle of good luck, an amazing cast of characters and without giving the end away, suspense and tension. It really is a roller coaster of a read.
Verified Purchase
An outstanding story which I couldn't put down. It is written with such honesty and reflection which is both heart warming and tear jerking. Thoroughly recommended for parents and rugby/sport enthusiasts.
Verified Purchase
Very few books which I have read have been so profoundly moving and humanly felt. It is a story of love, beginning with love of rugby. I cannot recommend this book enough.
Verified Purchase
Every parent’s nightmare - send your child away on a school rugby tour and they get seriously injured - but this account is written as an almost minute by minute account by the child’s father. It’s wonderful to see how the schools both home and abroad provide such excellent physical and moral support the ordeal. However, most incredible of all is the way in which the rugby community rally round and ensure that Carl and his son receive the best possible care in every respect.
A heartwarming tale with a happy ending.
Verified Purchase
A break in Mendoza is an amazing story about an injured young rugby player Luke Igolen-Robinson. An ordinary trip turned into a nightmare. With the care of his father, the superbly kind people in Mendoza and the rugby community, he has made a full recovery. The love, passion and humanity in this book will touch your soul.
Haileybury College reciprocated the Mendocians by providing opportunities for two young pupils to study at their college. I well up every time I think of it.
If you are a rugby lover, or if you would like to discover Southern American culture, and spare a few tears, read this book.
Verified Purchase
A Break in Mendoza is an uplifting account of human goodness, recounted with a naturalness of tone which takes the reader beyond natural admiration for the protagonists to feeling that they actually know them.
Verified Purchase