Swanepoel made his debut for the Springboks in 1997 against the British Lions at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. He represented South Africa in the 1999 Rugby World Cup, scoring a try in their pool match against Spain. In 2001, he was a replacement for The Barbarians in their match against Australia in Cardiff. His career was ended unexpectedly when he contracted viral meningitis while he was playing with the English club, Worcester.