South African Player Jan-Hendrik Wessels Handed Nine-Match Suspension for Inappropriate Contact
Wessels will miss for the Springboks' fall fixtures.
Springbok prop Wessels has been suspended of nine games for grabbing Josh Murphy's private parts during the Bulls' URC victory over the Irish province.
This event occurred in the early stages of the narrow victory against Connacht on last Friday, with opposing player Murphy receiving a temporary dismissal after reacting angrily by striking the South African on the head.
After the Connacht player complained to the match official, the contact was examined by the television match official, who found insufficient clear footage.
The Bulls player stayed on the pitch until he was substituted in the second half of the game.
While the United Rugby Championship announced that Murphy's 20-minute red card was overturned by a disciplinary panel, Wessels was found to have violated the code of conduct, which specifies:
"Any athlete must not engage in actions that is contrary to the spirit of good sportsmanship. Such behavior covers touching, twisting or compressing the private areas."
The panel concluded that the incident reached the level for dismissal and warranted a three-month ban, the minimum suspension under international rugby regulations for such an violation.
Nonetheless, Wessels' ban was shortened by 21 days because of his cooperative behavior during the hearing and his clean disciplinary history.
The forward and the Pretoria-based team have the right to appeal, but currently, the suspension will rule the 24-year-old out of the Springboks' autumn Tests against the Brave Blossoms, France, the Azzurri and the Irish team.
He will additionally be absent for the his club's URC games against Warriors, the Emirates Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bègles and Northampton.
The prop has won ten international appearances for South Africa and was included in their tri-nations champion squad over the summer.
Murphy, in contrast, is available to face Munster in this weekend's inter-provincial derby after being exonerated.
