Springbok Forward Wessels Receives Nine-Game Ban for Genital Grab
The player is ruled out for the Springboks' autumn internationals.
South Africa prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has received a ban of nine matches for grabbing Josh Murphy's private parts during the Blue Bulls' URC win over Connacht.
The incident happened in the early stages of the close contest in Galway on last Friday, with Connacht forward Josh Murphy being shown a 20-minute red card after reacting angrily by striking Wessels on the head area.
After the Connacht player complained to referee Mike Adamson, the contact was checked by the TMO, who determined insufficient clear footage.
The Bulls player stayed on the pitch until he was substituted in the later stages of the match.
Although the United Rugby Championship announced that Murphy's 20-minute red card was overturned by a disciplinary panel, the Springbok was deemed 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 grabbing, pulling or squeezing the genitals."
The panel determined that the event met the red card threshold and warranted a three-month ban, the shortest ban under World Rugby rules for such an infringement.
Nonetheless, Wessels' suspension was reduced by three weeks because of his good conduct prior to and at the hearing and his good record.
Wessels and the Pretoria-based team have the right to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the ban will rule the 24-year-old out of the Springboks' fall internationals against Japan, France, Italy and Ireland.
He will additionally be absent for the his club's league matches against Warriors, the Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as Investec Champions Cup games with Bègles and Saints.
The prop has won ten international appearances for South Africa and was part of their Rugby Championship-winning squad over the summer.
The Connacht player, in contrast, is available to face Munster in Saturday's domestic clash after being cleared.
