South African Player Wessels Handed Nine-Match Ban for Genital Grab
Wessels will miss for South Africa's autumn internationals.
South Africa prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels faces a suspension of nine matches for touching Josh Murphy's genitals during the Blue Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over Connacht.
The altercation occurred in the 18th minute of the close contest in Galway on Friday, with opposing player Josh Murphy receiving a 20-minute red card after reacting angrily by hitting Wessels on the head.
After Murphy reported the incident to the match official, the event was reviewed by the television match official, who concluded insufficient clear footage.
The Bulls player stayed on the pitch until he was substituted in the later stages of the game.
While the United Rugby Championship announced that Murphy's temporary sending-off was withdrawn by a disciplinary panel, the Springbok was deemed to have violated law 9.27, which specifies:
"Any athlete must not do anything that is contrary to the principles of fair play. This includes touching, twisting or squeezing the genitals."
The panel concluded that the contact reached the level for dismissal and justified a 12-week suspension, the minimum suspension under World Rugby regulations for such an offence.
Nonetheless, the player's ban was reduced by 21 days because of his good conduct prior to and at the hearing and his clean disciplinary history.
The forward and the Pretoria-based team are entitled to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the suspension will prevent the 24-year-old out of the South African national team's autumn Tests against Japan, Les Bleus, the Azzurri and Ireland.
He will also miss the Bulls' URC games against Warriors, the Emirates Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as Investec Champions Cup fixtures with Bègles and Saints.
Wessels has won ten international appearances for South Africa and was included in their tri-nations champion team during the recent tournament.
The Connacht player, meanwhile, is available to play against Munster in this weekend's inter-provincial derby after being exonerated.
