South African Player Wessels Handed Nine-Game Suspension for Genital Grab
Wessels will miss for the Springboks' upcoming test matches.
Springbok prop Wessels has received a ban of nine games for touching Josh Murphy's genitals during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship win over Connacht.
This event took place in the 18th minute of the close contest against Connacht on last Friday, with opposing player Josh Murphy receiving a 20-minute red card after reacting angrily by hitting the South African on the head.
After Murphy reported the incident to the match official, the contact was checked by the TMO, who found no definitive proof.
Wessels remained on the pitch until he was replaced in the second half of the match.
Although the URC announced that the Irish player's 20-minute red card was withdrawn by a disciplinary panel, Wessels was deemed to have violated the code of conduct, which states:
"A player should not do anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship. Such behavior covers grabbing, twisting or squeezing the genitals."
The panel determined that the incident met the red card threshold and justified a 12-week suspension, the minimum ban under World Rugby regulations for such an violation.
However, the player's ban was reduced by 21 days because of his good conduct during the hearing and his clean disciplinary history.
Wessels and the Pretoria-based team are entitled to challenge the decision, but currently, the suspension will prevent the 24-year-old out of the South African national team's autumn Tests against Japan, Les Bleus, Italy and Ireland.
Wessels will additionally be absent for the his club's URC games against Warriors, the Emirates Lions and the Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bordeaux and Saints.
The prop has earned ten international appearances for South Africa and was part of their tri-nations champion squad during the recent tournament.
Murphy, meanwhile, is available to play against the Irish rivals in this weekend's inter-provincial derby after being cleared.
