South African Player Jan-Hendrik Wessels Handed Nine-Game Ban for Inappropriate Contact
Wessels is ruled out for the Springboks' autumn internationals.
South Africa prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been suspended of nine games for grabbing opponent Josh Murphy's genitals during the Blue Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over Connacht.
This event occurred in the 18th minute of the Bulls' 28-27 win in Galway on last Friday, with Connacht forward Murphy receiving a 20-minute red card after reacting angrily by hitting the South African on the head area.
Following the Connacht player reported the incident to referee Mike Adamson, the event was checked by the TMO, who found no conclusive video evidence.
The Bulls player stayed on the field until he was substituted in the later stages of the match.
Although the United Rugby Championship confirmed that the Irish player's temporary sending-off was withdrawn by a governing body, the Springbok was deemed to have breached law 9.27, which declares:
"Any athlete must not engage in actions that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship. This includes grabbing, twisting or squeezing the private areas."
The panel determined that the event met the level for dismissal and warranted a 12-week suspension, the minimum suspension under World Rugby regulations for such an infringement.
However, the player's ban was reduced by three weeks because of his good conduct prior to and at the proceedings and his clean disciplinary history.
Wessels and the Pretoria-based team are entitled to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the ban will rule the young player out of the South African national team's autumn Tests against Japan, Les Bleus, Italy and the Irish team.
He will additionally be absent for the his club's league matches against Warriors, the Emirates Lions and the Sharks, as well as European cup games with Bordeaux and Northampton.
The prop has won ten international appearances for South Africa and was part of their tri-nations champion squad during the recent tournament.
Murphy, meanwhile, is available to play against the Irish rivals in Saturday's inter-provincial derby after being exonerated.
