South African Player Wessels Receives Nine-Game Suspension for Inappropriate Contact

Springbok prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has received a ban of nine games for grabbing opponent Josh Murphy's private parts during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over the Irish province.

This event happened in the early stages of the close contest against Connacht on Friday, with Connacht forward Josh Murphy receiving a temporary dismissal after striking back by striking Wessels on the head.

Following the Connacht player complained to referee Mike Adamson, the event was reviewed by the TMO, who concluded no conclusive video evidence.

Wessels stayed on the field until he was replaced in the later stages of the match.

Although the United Rugby Championship announced that Murphy's temporary sending-off was overturned by a governing body, the Springbok was deemed to have violated the code of conduct, which states:

"Any athlete must not do anything that is contrary to the spirit of good sportsmanship. Such behavior covers grabbing, twisting or squeezing the genitals."

The panel determined that the event reached the red card threshold and justified a 12-week suspension, the minimum suspension under World Rugby rules for such an infringement.

However, Wessels' ban was reduced by three weeks because of his good conduct during the hearing and his clean disciplinary history.

Wessels and the Bulls are entitled to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the suspension will rule the 24-year-old out of the South African national team's fall internationals against the Brave Blossoms, France, the Azzurri and Ireland.

He will additionally be absent for the his club's URC games against Glasgow, the Lions and the Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bordeaux and Saints.

The prop has won ten international appearances for the Springboks and was included in their Rugby Championship-winning team over the summer.

Murphy, meanwhile, is available to play against Munster in Saturday's inter-provincial derby after being cleared.