Michael Swift (rugby union)
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| Full name | Michael Swift | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 18 October 1977 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 123 kg (19 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | London Oratory School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Loughborough University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Amateur team(s) | |||
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| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| Senior career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| 1997–1999 1999–2000 2000–2015 |
Richmond Leeds Tykes Connacht |
8 2 269 |
((0) (10) (60)) |
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Correct as of 16 May 2015
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| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
Michael Swift (born 18 October 1977) is an English former rugby union player. Swift was played rugby professionally for 17 years and spent most of his career with Irish provincial team Connacht. He retired from playing in 2015.
Swift is the most capped Connacht player of all time and holds the record for appearances in the Celtic League/Pro12. Though he originally played both as a flanker and a lock, Swift played almost exclusively in the second row towards the end of his career.
Swift started playing rugby in 1995, while a student at London Oratory School. His first professional club was Richmond, which he joined at 19 while attending Loughborough University. He primarily played as a flanker. Swift did not feature for the team in the 1997–98 Premiership, but made two appearances in the 1997–98 European Challenge Cup. In the 1998–99 Premiership, Swift made six appearances for the team, four of these coming as starts.
The club had been bought by financial markets trader and Monaco tax exile Ashley Levett, who turned the club into one of the first professional rugby union teams in England. Levitt bought in big names to push the club up the leagues, such as Ben Clarke from Bath Rugby, the first £1 million signing. Despite the crowds and revenues from competition, Levett was continually financing the team, and he eventually put the club in administration in March 1999. The professional side of Richmond was eventually merged into London Irish, but during the period of uncertainty following the onset of administration, a number of players left the club.
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