South African Forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels Receives Nine-Match Ban for Inappropriate Contact
Wessels will be unavailable for the Springboks' fall fixtures.
South Africa front-rower Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been suspended of nine matches for touching Josh Murphy's private parts during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over Connacht.
The altercation took place in the 18th minute of the Bulls' 28-27 win against Connacht on last Friday, with opposing player Josh Murphy being shown a 20-minute red card after reacting angrily by hitting the South African on the head.
Following Murphy complained to referee Mike Adamson, the contact was examined by the TMO, who concluded insufficient clear footage.
The Bulls player stayed on the field until he was substituted in the later stages of the match.
While the URC confirmed that the Irish player's temporary sending-off was rescinded by a governing body, the Springbok was deemed to have violated law 9.27, which states:
"Any athlete should not engage in actions that is against the principles of fair play. This includes grabbing, pulling or squeezing the private areas."
Disciplinary officials were satisfied that the incident met the red card threshold and justified a three-month ban, the minimum ban under World Rugby regulations for such an violation.
However, the player's suspension was shortened by three weeks because of his cooperative behavior during the hearing and his good record.
The forward and the Pretoria-based team have the right to appeal, but as it stands, the ban will rule the young player out of the South African national team's fall internationals against Japan, Les Bleus, Italy and the Irish team.
Wessels will additionally be absent for the Bulls' league matches against Glasgow, the Lions and the Sharks, as well as Investec Champions Cup fixtures with Bègles and Northampton.
Wessels has earned 10 caps for South Africa and was included in their Rugby Championship-winning squad over the summer.
The Connacht player, in contrast, is eligible to face the Irish rivals in Saturday's domestic clash after being cleared.
