South African Player Wessels Receives Nine-Match Suspension for Genital Grab
The player will be unavailable for the Springboks' upcoming test matches.
Springbok prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels faces a suspension of nine matches for touching Josh Murphy's genitals during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over the Irish province.
The altercation took place in the 18th minute of the Bulls' 28-27 win against Connacht on last Friday, with opposing player Murphy being shown a 20-minute red card after responding aggressively by striking the South African on the head.
Following Murphy reported the incident to the match official, the situation was examined by the television match official, who determined insufficient clear footage.
The Bulls player remained on the pitch until he was replaced in the later stages of the game.
Although the URC confirmed that the Irish player's 20-minute red card was overturned by a disciplinary panel, Wessels was found to have violated the code of conduct, which specifies:
"A player should not do anything that is contrary to the principles of fair play. Such behavior covers touching, twisting or compressing the genitals."
Disciplinary officials concluded that the event reached the red card threshold and warranted a three-month ban, the shortest suspension under international rugby rules for such an violation.
Nonetheless, the player's ban was reduced by 21 days because of his cooperative behavior during the proceedings and his clean disciplinary history.
Wessels and the Pretoria-based team have the right to appeal, but currently, the ban will rule the 24-year-old out of the Springboks' fall internationals against Japan, Les Bleus, Italy and the Irish team.
Wessels will also miss the Bulls' league matches against Warriors, the Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as Investec Champions Cup fixtures with Bègles and Northampton.
Wessels has earned 10 caps for South Africa and was part of their Rugby Championship-winning squad during the recent tournament.
The Connacht player, meanwhile, is eligible to face Munster in Saturday's domestic clash after being cleared.
