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| Full name | Timothy Gregory Swiel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1993-06-04)4 June 1993 (age 32) Taunton, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft11+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 88 kg (13 st 12 lb; 194 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Diocesan College,Dulwich College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | The Open University,University of Western States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Timothy Gregory Swiel (born 4 June 1993) is an English-born South Africanrugby union player. His regular position is fly-half.[1]
Swiel attended Bishops inCape Town and played in their first side in 2010 and 2011 alongsideDillyn Leyds,Oli Kebble andJohnny Kôtze. As part of an exchange programme, Swiel also played for English school sideDulwich College during the 2009–2010 season.[2]
Swiel representedWestern Province at Under-16 level at the 2009 Grant Khomo Week and at Under-18 level at the 2010 Academy Week and 2011Craven Week tournaments, leading to his inclusion in theSouth Africa Schools side in 2011.[3]
Swiel also played for theWestern Province U21 team in the2012 Under-21 Provincial Championship – scoring 81 points to finish joint seventh in the scoring charts[4] – and2013 Under-21 Provincial Championship competitions – scoring 180 points including 5 tries.
His senior debut came during the2013 Vodacom Cup competition, coming on as a substitute inWestern Province 17–17 draw againstBoland Cavaliers inCeres.[5] Seven more appearances followed in that competition.
Swiel was then included in the Western Province'sCurrie Cup squad for the2013 Currie Cup Premier Division competition and made his Currie Cup debut against theGolden Lions, which also ended in a draw, the final score being 31–31.[6]
Swiel joined theSharks at the conclusion of the2013 Currie Cup Premier Division season.[7] He played in five matches for theSharks XV in the2014 Vodacom Cup competition, finishing as top-scorer for his team with 53 points.[8]
Swiel was also included in theSharks squad for the2014 Super Rugby season. He made hisSuper Rugby debut, replacingPatrick Lambie in the sixth minute of the Sharks' match against theBulls inPretoria.[9] He scored his first points in Super Rugby just three minutes after coming on, converting aWillem Alberts try. A month later, Swiel made his first start in Super Rugby in their home match against theCheetahs.[10] He made his second start the following week, where he scored all his side's points in an 18–34 defeat to theHighlanders.[11] Swiel made a total of six appearances during the season and scored 38 points as his side finished top of the South African Conference before losing to theCrusaders in the semi-final.
In September 2014, Swiel made hisCurrie Cup debut, playing off the bench in their match againstGriquas.[12] He started their next match against theFree State Cheetahs inBloemfontein[13] and also played against theEastern Province Kings.[14] In addition to his three Currie Cup appearances, he also played for theSharks U21 side on six occasions during the2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship, scoring 38 points.
In October 2014,English Premiership sideHarlequins signed Swiel as short-term injury cover forBen Botica.[15]
Swiel made his debut for Harlequins in theirLV= Cup match againstSaracens, coming on as a second-half substitute. He made his starting debut a week later against theNewport Gwent Dragons in the same competition. After making his Premiership debut againstBath, he also made his debut in theEuropean Rugby Champions Cup, playing in both legs againstIrish sideLeinster, as they finished third and failed to qualify for the knockout stage.
Swiel made a total of ten appearances for Harlequins during his loan spell – starting five of those matches – and scored 75 points before returning to the Sharks before Round Three of the2015 Super Rugby season.[16]
In April 2015, Harlequins announced that Swiel would return to the club on a full-time deal for the 2015–2016 season.[17]
In 2018, Swiel signed for Premiership rivalsNewcastle Falcons ahead of the 2018–19 season.[18]
On 26 May 2020, Swiel returned to South Africa to sign forStormers.[19]
Swiel spent the 2022-2023 season withToyota Shokki in Japan's Rugby League One – Division 2.
Swiel joinedEdinburgh Rugby in August 2023 on a short-term deal to provide cover during the2023 Rugby World Cup.[20]
In addition to being included in theSouth Africa Schools side in 2011, he was also included in aSouth Africa Under-20 training squad,[21] but later ruled himself out of selection for the2013 IRB Junior World Championship. UnderIRB rules, playing for the S.A. Under-20 team would have made him ineligible to play for another international team, but as a British passport holder, Swiel wanted to keep his options open and did not yet want to commit his long-term international future to South Africa.[22]