South African Forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels Handed Nine-Game Ban for Genital Grab
The player will be unavailable for the Springboks' autumn internationals.
South Africa front-rower Wessels has received a ban of nine games for touching opponent Josh Murphy's genitals during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship win over the Irish province.
The altercation took place in the early stages of the close contest in Galway on last Friday, with Connacht forward Josh Murphy receiving a temporary dismissal after striking back by hitting Wessels on the head.
After the Connacht player complained to the match official, the event was checked by the television match official, who determined no definitive proof.
The Bulls player stayed on the field until he was substituted in the second half of the game.
Although the URC confirmed that the Irish player's 20-minute red card was rescinded by a disciplinary panel, the Springbok was deemed to have breached the code of conduct, which specifies:
"Any athlete should not do anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship. 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 rules for such an infringement.
However, the player's ban was reduced by three weeks because of his cooperative behavior during the proceedings and his good record.
Wessels and the Pretoria-based team are entitled to appeal, but currently, the suspension will rule the 24-year-old out of the Springboks' autumn Tests against Japan, France, the Azzurri and Ireland.
He will additionally be absent for the Bulls' league matches against Warriors, the Emirates Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as Investec Champions Cup games with Bordeaux and Saints.
The prop has earned ten international appearances for the Springboks and was part of their tri-nations champion team during the recent tournament.
The Connacht player, in contrast, is eligible to play against the Irish rivals in this weekend's domestic clash after being cleared.
