Springbok Forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels Receives Nine-Match Ban for Inappropriate Contact
Wessels will be unavailable for the Springboks' upcoming test matches.
Springbok prop Wessels faces a suspension of nine matches for making contact with Josh Murphy's genitals during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over the Irish province.
The incident happened in the early stages of the close contest against Connacht on Friday, with Connacht forward Josh Murphy being shown a temporary dismissal after reacting angrily by hitting Wessels on the head area.
After Murphy complained to referee Mike Adamson, the event was checked by the television match official, who determined no definitive proof.
Wessels stayed on the pitch until he was substituted in the later stages of the game.
While the United Rugby Championship confirmed that the Irish player's 20-minute red card was overturned by a governing body, Wessels was deemed to have violated the code of conduct, which specifies:
"A player must not do anything that is contrary to the spirit of good sportsmanship. This includes grabbing, pulling or compressing the private areas."
Disciplinary officials determined that the event met the red card threshold and justified a 12-week suspension, the shortest suspension under World Rugby regulations for such an offence.
Nonetheless, the player's ban was shortened by three weeks because of his cooperative behavior during the proceedings and his clean disciplinary history.
Wessels and the Pretoria-based team have the right to appeal, but currently, the suspension will prevent the 24-year-old out of the South African national team's fall internationals against Japan, France, the Azzurri and the Irish team.
He will additionally be absent for the his club's URC games against Glasgow, the Emirates Lions and the Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bègles and Northampton.
The prop has won ten international appearances for the Springboks and was included in their tri-nations champion squad during the recent tournament.
The Connacht player, meanwhile, is eligible to face the Irish rivals in this weekend's inter-provincial derby after being exonerated.
