South African Player Wessels Handed Nine-Game Ban for Genital Grab
Wessels is ruled out for South Africa's upcoming test matches.
South Africa front-rower Wessels has been suspended of nine games for making contact with opponent Josh Murphy's genitals during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over the Irish province.
This event occurred in the early stages of the narrow victory against Connacht on last Friday, with Connacht forward Murphy receiving a 20-minute red card after responding aggressively by hitting the South African on the head area.
Following the Connacht player complained to the match official, the contact was checked by the television match official, who concluded no conclusive video evidence.
Wessels stayed on the field until he was replaced in the second half of the match.
Although the United Rugby Championship confirmed that Murphy's 20-minute red card was rescinded by a governing body, the Springbok was found to have violated law 9.27, which specifies:
"A player should not engage in actions that is against the principles of fair play. Such behavior covers grabbing, pulling or compressing the private areas."
The panel determined that the contact reached the red card threshold and justified a three-month ban, the minimum suspension under World Rugby regulations for such an infringement.
Nonetheless, the player's suspension was shortened by three weeks because of his good conduct during the proceedings and his clean disciplinary history.
The forward and the Pretoria-based team are entitled to appeal, but currently, 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 the Irish team.
Wessels will additionally be absent for the his club's URC games against Warriors, the Lions and the Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bègles and Saints.
Wessels has earned 10 caps for South Africa and was included in their Rugby Championship-winning team during the recent tournament.
The Connacht player, meanwhile, is eligible to play against Munster in Saturday's inter-provincial derby after being cleared.
