Springbok Forward Wessels Receives Nine-Game Ban for Inappropriate Contact
The player will miss for South Africa's autumn internationals.
South Africa prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been suspended of nine games for touching Josh Murphy's private parts during the Blue Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over Connacht.
The altercation happened in the 18th minute of the close contest in Galway on last Friday, with Connacht forward Murphy being shown a 20-minute red card after responding aggressively by hitting the South African on the head.
Following the Connacht player complained to the match official, the contact was checked by the television match official, who determined no definitive proof.
Wessels remained on the field until he was substituted in the later stages of the match.
While the United Rugby Championship announced that Murphy's 20-minute red card was withdrawn by a governing body, Wessels was deemed to have violated the code of conduct, which specifies:
"A player should not engage in actions that is against the principles of fair play. This includes touching, pulling or compressing the genitals."
Disciplinary officials were satisfied that the incident reached the level for dismissal and justified a 12-week suspension, the minimum suspension under international rugby regulations for such an violation.
Nonetheless, the player's ban was reduced by three weeks because of his cooperative behavior prior to and at the proceedings and his clean disciplinary history.
Wessels and the Bulls have the right to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the suspension will prevent the 24-year-old out of the Springboks' fall internationals against the Brave Blossoms, Les Bleus, the Azzurri and Ireland.
He will additionally be absent for the his club's league matches against Glasgow, the Emirates Lions and the Sharks, as well as European cup games with Bordeaux and Northampton.
The prop has earned 10 caps for the Springboks and was included in their tri-nations champion team during the recent tournament.
The Connacht player, in contrast, is eligible to face the Irish rivals in Saturday's inter-provincial derby after being exonerated.
