Project Exiles: Italy's new hunt for talent

SEBASTIAN Negri is not the only member of his family doing good things for Italian rugby, his elder brother Thomas is also playing a key role in the Azzurri revival.

- JON NEWCOMBE

While Seb spent the Six Nations skittling defenders at will in what was ultimately a losing cause, his Cape Town-based rugby agent sibling has been busy helping the Federation of Italian Rugby (FIR) implement their recently launched “Project Exiles” scheme.

The FIR are on the lookout for new talent, primarily aged 17-20, in a bid to capture more players of the calibre of his brother and fellow Azzurri back rower, Jake Polledri, who may have been born elsewhere (Zimbabwe and England) but have blue blood running through their veins.

New Exeter signing, openside Ross Vintcent, is a recent example of Thomas’ endeavours.

“Ross is a very exciting prospect that my brother has put forward,” said Seb, an ever-present in Italy’s back row during the Six Nations. “He was schooled in South Africa but has come across to Italy and played for Italy U20s, captaining them recently, and he has played for Italy A. So he is on a similar pathway to me.

“It is great that my brother is involved. It is an awesome project and something that needs to be pushed on with. He’s just sent an U19s fly-half over who is an exciting prospect.”

Negri’s father is full-blooded Milanese and his mother is English-Zimbabwean, and he was just coming out of school and ready to embark on a career with Western Province when Italian rugby realised what an asset he could be.