The following season saw the foundation of a new domestic league for Connacht, with teams from Scotland and Wales uniting with the Irish provinces to create the Celtic League. The competition featured 16 teams, split into two pools of eight, with teams from the top half of each pool advancing to the knockout rounds. In the inaugural Celtic League, Swift made four appearances, all of them coming as starts, as Connacht finished second to Irish rivals Munster in Pool B, before losing to Glasgow in the quarter-finals. In the 2001–02 Challenge Cup, Swift played three games, featuring as a replacement against Sale Sharks, before starting against Rugby Roma and Narbonne.