Springbok Forward Wessels Given Nine-Game Ban for Inappropriate Contact
The player will miss for South Africa's fall fixtures.
Springbok prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels faces a suspension of nine games for making contact with Josh Murphy's genitals during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over the Irish province.
The altercation happened in the 18th minute of the narrow victory against Connacht on Friday, with opposing player Josh Murphy receiving a 20-minute red card after reacting angrily by striking Wessels on the head area.
Following the Connacht player complained to referee Mike Adamson, the contact was reviewed by the television match official, who found insufficient clear footage.
Wessels stayed on the pitch until he was substituted in the second half of the match.
While the United Rugby Championship confirmed that the Irish player's temporary sending-off was rescinded by a disciplinary panel, the Springbok was deemed to have breached the code of conduct, which specifies:
"Any athlete must not engage in actions that is against the principles of fair play. This includes touching, twisting or squeezing the private areas."
The panel concluded that the incident reached the level for dismissal and warranted a three-month ban, the shortest suspension under international rugby regulations for such an violation.
Nonetheless, Wessels' ban was shortened by three weeks because of his good conduct prior to and at the hearing and his clean disciplinary history.
The forward and the Pretoria-based team have the right to challenge the decision, but currently, 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 additionally be absent for the his club's league matches against Warriors, the Emirates Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as Investec Champions Cup fixtures with Bordeaux and Northampton.
The prop has won 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 Munster in Saturday's inter-provincial derby after being exonerated.
