South African Player Wessels Handed Nine-Game Suspension for Genital Grab
The player will be unavailable for South Africa's fall fixtures.
Springbok front-rower Jan-Hendrik Wessels faces a suspension of nine games for grabbing opponent Josh Murphy's genitals during the Blue Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over Connacht.
The incident occurred in the early stages of the Bulls' 28-27 win against Connacht on last Friday, with opposing player Murphy receiving a temporary dismissal after reacting angrily by hitting Wessels on the head.
After the Connacht player reported the incident to the match official, the contact was checked by the television match official, who found insufficient clear footage.
Wessels remained on the field until he was replaced in the second half of the match.
While the United Rugby Championship announced that the Irish player's 20-minute red card was withdrawn by a disciplinary panel, Wessels was deemed to have breached the code of conduct, which states:
"Any athlete should not engage in actions that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship. This includes touching, pulling or compressing the genitals."
Disciplinary officials concluded that the incident reached the red card threshold and justified a three-month ban, the minimum suspension under World Rugby regulations for such an offence.
Nonetheless, the player's suspension was reduced by three weeks because of his good conduct prior to and at the hearing and his good record.
The forward and the Pretoria-based team are entitled to appeal, but as it stands, the ban will prevent the 24-year-old out of the Springboks' fall internationals against Japan, France, the Azzurri and Ireland.
He will also miss the his club's league matches against Warriors, the Emirates Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bègles and Northampton.
The prop has won 10 caps for the Springboks and was included in their tri-nations champion squad over the summer.
The Connacht player, in contrast, is available to face Munster in Saturday's domestic clash after being exonerated.
