South African Player Wessels Handed Nine-Game Ban for Inappropriate Contact
Wessels will miss for South Africa's autumn internationals.
Springbok front-rower Jan-Hendrik Wessels has received a ban of nine games for making contact with opponent Josh Murphy's genitals during the Bulls' URC victory over Connacht.
This event occurred in the early stages of the narrow victory against Connacht on last Friday, with opposing player Josh Murphy receiving a temporary dismissal after reacting angrily by striking Wessels on the head area.
Following the Connacht player reported the incident to referee Mike Adamson, the event was reviewed by the television match official, who found no conclusive video evidence.
Wessels stayed on the pitch until he was substituted in the later stages of the game.
While the URC announced that the Irish player's 20-minute red card was overturned by a disciplinary panel, Wessels was deemed to have breached the code of conduct, which states:
"Any athlete must not engage in actions that is contrary to the principles of fair play. Such behavior covers touching, twisting or compressing the genitals."
Disciplinary officials determined that the incident met the red card threshold and warranted a 12-week suspension, the minimum suspension under international rugby rules for such an infringement.
However, the player's ban was reduced by 21 days because of his cooperative behavior during the hearing and his clean disciplinary history.
The forward and the Bulls are entitled to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the ban will prevent the 24-year-old out of the South African national team's autumn Tests against the Brave Blossoms, Les Bleus, the Azzurri and Ireland.
He will additionally be absent for the Bulls' URC games against Warriors, the Lions and the Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bordeaux and Northampton.
Wessels has earned 10 caps for the Springboks and was included in their Rugby Championship-winning team over the summer.
The Connacht player, in contrast, is eligible to play against the Irish rivals in Saturday's inter-provincial derby after being exonerated.
