Springbok Player Wessels Receives Nine-Game Suspension for Inappropriate Contact
The player will be unavailable for South Africa's autumn internationals.
South Africa prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels faces a suspension of nine games for grabbing opponent Josh Murphy's genitals during the Blue Bulls' United Rugby Championship win over Connacht.
This event took place in the early stages of the Bulls' 28-27 win in Galway on Friday, with Connacht forward Josh Murphy being shown a temporary dismissal after reacting angrily by hitting the South African on the head area.
After Murphy reported the incident to referee Mike Adamson, the situation was checked by the television match official, who determined no conclusive video evidence.
The Bulls player remained on the pitch until he was replaced in the second half of the match.
While the United Rugby Championship announced that Murphy's temporary sending-off was rescinded by a governing body, the Springbok was deemed to have violated the code of conduct, which states:
"Any athlete must not engage in actions that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship. This includes touching, twisting or compressing the genitals."
The panel determined that the contact met the level for dismissal and warranted a 12-week suspension, the shortest ban under international rugby regulations for such an infringement.
Nonetheless, the player's suspension was reduced by three weeks because of his cooperative behavior prior to and at the hearing and his good record.
The forward and the Pretoria-based team are entitled to challenge the decision, but currently, the ban will rule the young player out of the South African national team's fall internationals against the Brave Blossoms, France, Italy and Ireland.
Wessels will also miss the his club's URC games against Warriors, the Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as European cup games with Bordeaux and Saints.
The prop has earned 10 caps for South Africa and was included in their Rugby Championship-winning squad over the summer.
Murphy, meanwhile, is available to face the Irish rivals in Saturday's domestic clash after being cleared.
