🔗 Share this article South African Player Jan-Hendrik Wessels Receives Nine-Match Ban for Genital Grab Wessels is ruled out for the Springboks' upcoming test matches. Springbok prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has received a ban of nine games for making contact with opponent Josh Murphy's private parts during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship win over Connacht. This event happened in the early stages of the narrow victory in Galway on Friday, with opposing player Josh Murphy receiving a 20-minute red card after striking back by hitting Wessels on the head. Following Murphy reported the incident to the match official, the contact was checked by the television match official, who found no conclusive video evidence. The Bulls player remained on the field until he was replaced in the later stages of the match. While the United Rugby Championship announced that Murphy's 20-minute red card was overturned by a disciplinary panel, the Springbok was found to have breached the code of conduct, which specifies: "Any athlete should not do anything that is contrary to the principles of fair play. This includes grabbing, pulling or squeezing the genitals." Disciplinary officials were satisfied that the incident met the red card threshold and warranted a 12-week suspension, the minimum suspension under World Rugby regulations for such an offence. Nonetheless, Wessels' suspension was reduced by three weeks because of his good conduct prior to and at the hearing and his clean disciplinary history. Wessels and the Pretoria-based team are entitled to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the ban will rule the 24-year-old out of the Springboks' autumn Tests against the Brave Blossoms, Les Bleus, Italy and the Irish team. He will also miss the Bulls' URC games against Glasgow, the Emirates Lions and the Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bordeaux and Northampton. Wessels has earned 10 caps for South Africa and was included in their Rugby Championship-winning squad during the recent tournament. The Connacht player, meanwhile, is available to play against the Irish rivals in Saturday's inter-provincial derby after being exonerated.
Wessels is ruled out for the Springboks' upcoming test matches. Springbok prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has received a ban of nine games for making contact with opponent Josh Murphy's private parts during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship win over Connacht. This event happened in the early stages of the narrow victory in Galway on Friday, with opposing player Josh Murphy receiving a 20-minute red card after striking back by hitting Wessels on the head. Following Murphy reported the incident to the match official, the contact was checked by the television match official, who found no conclusive video evidence. The Bulls player remained on the field until he was replaced in the later stages of the match. While the United Rugby Championship announced that Murphy's 20-minute red card was overturned by a disciplinary panel, the Springbok was found to have breached the code of conduct, which specifies: "Any athlete should not do anything that is contrary to the principles of fair play. This includes grabbing, pulling or squeezing the genitals." Disciplinary officials were satisfied that the incident met the red card threshold and warranted a 12-week suspension, the minimum suspension under World Rugby regulations for such an offence. Nonetheless, Wessels' suspension was reduced by three weeks because of his good conduct prior to and at the hearing and his clean disciplinary history. Wessels and the Pretoria-based team are entitled to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the ban will rule the 24-year-old out of the Springboks' autumn Tests against the Brave Blossoms, Les Bleus, Italy and the Irish team. He will also miss the Bulls' URC games against Glasgow, the Emirates Lions and the Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bordeaux and Northampton. Wessels has earned 10 caps for South Africa and was included in their Rugby Championship-winning squad during the recent tournament. The Connacht player, meanwhile, is available to play against the Irish rivals in Saturday's inter-provincial derby after being exonerated.