Springbok Player Wessels Receives Nine-Game Ban for Genital Grab
Wessels will be unavailable for South Africa's fall fixtures.
Springbok prop Wessels has received a ban of nine games for making contact with Josh Murphy's private parts during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over Connacht.
The incident occurred in the early stages of the Bulls' 28-27 win in Galway on Friday, with Connacht forward Murphy receiving a temporary dismissal after striking back by hitting the South African on the head.
Following Murphy reported the incident to the match official, the situation was checked by the TMO, who concluded no definitive proof.
Wessels stayed on the field until he was substituted in the later stages of the match.
Although the United Rugby Championship announced that the Irish player's 20-minute red card was withdrawn by a disciplinary panel, the Springbok was found to have breached law 9.27, which declares:
"Any athlete should not engage in actions that is against the principles of fair play. Such behavior covers touching, pulling or compressing the private areas."
Disciplinary officials determined that the contact met the red card threshold and warranted a 12-week suspension, the minimum suspension under World Rugby regulations for such an violation.
Nonetheless, the player's ban was shortened by 21 days because of his cooperative behavior prior to and at the hearing and his good record.
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' fall internationals against Japan, Les Bleus, the Azzurri and the Irish team.
He will also miss the his club's league matches against Glasgow, the Emirates Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as Investec Champions Cup games with Bordeaux and Northampton.
Wessels has earned ten international appearances for South Africa and was included in their Rugby Championship-winning squad during the recent tournament.
The Connacht player, in contrast, is available to face Munster in Saturday's inter-provincial derby after being exonerated.
