‘My mum was held hostage and uncle had ear cut off – I still hear gunshots’, Six Nations ace reveals before England game

10 months ago 82

THE haunting sound of gunshots still rings in Sebastian Negri’s ears more than 20 years on.

The night his first life ended and his new one began.

Negri, with fiancee Greta had a traumatic childhood as he was forced to flee his parents’ farm[/caption]

Negri, then just eight, escaped with his family from a gang of Robert Mugabe-supporting war veterans from their farm, taking refuge with extended family in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare.

His father Janusz and mum Diana climbed into the car with their four children and drove away with the lights off.

Diana went back the following day to try and collect some possessions and valuables – but was kidnapped by those who had stormed the house.

And things got even worse a couple of years later when Negri’s mum and uncle were nearly killed – the later having his ear chopped off.

Speaking to Rugby Pass in 2023 about the horrendous ordeal, Negri said: “I had an amazing upbringing on the farm – that was taken in a matter of 12 hours.

“I remember my dad calling us into the living room, telling us to be quiet and explaining we had to go away for a while, like a holiday. He was trying not to make us worry.

“He said, ‘Go to your room, Seb, pack a small bag and make sure you bring your cricket bat and rugby ball’.

“I remember him saying we were going to go quickly out of the house, and not to say anything.

“I remember hearing a lot of gunshots. Everything was dark. My dad turned the car lights off and we escaped off the farm.

“I remember looking out the back window, driving out of the driveway, and that was the last time I saw home.

“Mum tried to pack a big trailer with some valuables, furniture, and she was held hostage for twelve hours. That was scary. I don’t know all the details and probably don’t want to know everything.

“The Italian embassy got involved. You’re just hoping nothing goes wrong and nobody gets hurt. The main thing is, she got out safely.

“It was a horrible thing, but a lot of people were a lot worse off than us.

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“A couple of years later, my aunt and uncle were beaten almost to death.

“They broke my aunt’s arms, they cut off half my uncle’s ear. We were lucky in that way that we got out.”

Negri, 29, and his family relocated to Durban in South Africa, where he attended the prestigious Hilton College on a sports scholarship – a school that has produced dozens of international athletes.

But with his European roots – Diane is Anglo-Zimbabwean while Janusz originates from Milan – he was called up to play for Italy’s Under-20s and helped the country win the 2013 World Youth Trophy in Chile.

The following year, Negri moved again, this time to Gloucestershire to study at Hartpury University.

His impressive performances saw him earn his senior Italy debut while still at uni in 2016 – and then secure his move to Pro14 side Benetton Treviso.

The flanker has racked up more than 50 caps for the Azzurri – including featuring at both the 2019 and 2023 World Cups.

However, his 26 Six Nations appearances so far have yielded zero wins and 26 defeats.

Negri – who stars in the Netflix Full Contact series alongside glamorous fiancee Greta – will be desperate to change his fortunes in 2024, starting with Saturday’s showdown with England at the Stadio Olimpico.