South African Forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels Handed Nine-Match Ban for Genital Grab
The player is ruled out for the Springboks' fall fixtures.
South Africa prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been suspended of nine matches for touching Josh Murphy's private parts during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship win over the Irish province.
This event took place in the early stages of the close contest against Connacht on Friday, with Connacht forward Murphy receiving a temporary dismissal after responding aggressively by hitting the South African on the head.
Following Murphy complained to referee Mike Adamson, the situation was checked by the television match official, who determined no conclusive video evidence.
The Bulls player stayed on the pitch until he was replaced in the second half of the match.
While the URC announced that Murphy's temporary sending-off was withdrawn by a governing body, Wessels was found to have breached the code of conduct, which declares:
"A player should not do anything that is contrary to the principles of fair play. Such behavior covers touching, pulling or squeezing the private areas."
The panel were satisfied that the incident reached the red card threshold and warranted a 12-week suspension, the shortest ban under World Rugby regulations for such an violation.
However, the player's suspension was reduced by three weeks because of his cooperative behavior during the hearing and his good record.
Wessels and the Pretoria-based team have the right to appeal, but currently, the ban will prevent the young player out of the Springboks' fall internationals against the Brave Blossoms, France, the Azzurri and the Irish team.
Wessels will additionally be absent for the his club's league matches against Warriors, the Lions and the Sharks, as well as Investec Champions Cup fixtures with Bordeaux and Saints.
Wessels has won 10 caps for the Springboks and was included in their Rugby Championship-winning team during the recent tournament.
The Connacht player, meanwhile, is eligible to face the Irish rivals in this weekend's domestic clash after being cleared.