Springbok Player Wessels Receives Nine-Match Suspension for Genital Grab
Wessels will miss for the Springboks' fall fixtures.
Springbok prop Wessels has received a ban of nine games for grabbing opponent Josh Murphy's genitals during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship win over Connacht.
The altercation took place in the 18th minute of the close contest in Galway on Friday, with Connacht forward Josh Murphy being shown a 20-minute red card after responding aggressively by hitting Wessels on the head area.
After the Connacht player reported the incident to the match official, the event was examined by the television match official, who determined no definitive proof.
The Bulls player stayed on the pitch until he was replaced in the later stages of the match.
While the United Rugby Championship announced that the Irish player's 20-minute red card was overturned by a governing body, Wessels was found to have violated the code of conduct, which specifies:
"A player should not engage in actions that is contrary to the spirit of good sportsmanship. Such behavior covers grabbing, pulling or compressing the private areas."
The panel determined that the event reached the red card threshold and warranted a 12-week suspension, the shortest suspension under international rugby regulations for such an violation.
Nonetheless, the player's suspension was shortened by 21 days because of his cooperative behavior prior to and at the proceedings and his clean disciplinary history.
The forward 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 South African national team's autumn Tests against Japan, Les Bleus, the Azzurri and Ireland.
Wessels will additionally be absent for the his club's URC games against Glasgow, the Lions and the Sharks, as well as European cup games with Bordeaux and Northampton.
The prop has earned ten international appearances for South Africa and was part of their tri-nations champion team during the recent tournament.
Murphy, in contrast, is available to play against the Irish rivals in Saturday's inter-provincial derby after being cleared.
