South African Player Jan-Hendrik Wessels Handed Nine-Match Suspension for Inappropriate Contact

Springbok prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has received a ban of nine matches for touching opponent Josh Murphy's private parts during the Bulls' URC victory over Connacht.

The altercation occurred in the 18th minute of the close contest in Galway on last Friday, with Connacht forward Murphy being shown a 20-minute red card after reacting angrily by hitting Wessels on the head.

Following the Connacht player complained to the match official, the event was checked by the television match official, who found insufficient clear footage.

The Bulls player stayed on the field until he was substituted in the second half of the match.

While the United Rugby Championship announced that Murphy's temporary sending-off was overturned by a disciplinary panel, Wessels was deemed to have breached the code of conduct, which specifies:

"A player must not do anything that is against the principles of fair play. This includes grabbing, twisting or compressing the genitals."

The panel concluded that the contact met the red card threshold and justified a 12-week suspension, the minimum ban under international rugby rules for such an offence.

Nonetheless, the player's suspension was shortened by 21 days because of his cooperative behavior during the hearing and his good record.

The forward and the Bulls are entitled to challenge the decision, but currently, the ban will rule the young player out of the South African national team's fall internationals against Japan, France, Italy and Ireland.

Wessels will additionally be absent for the his club's URC games against Warriors, the Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bordeaux and Northampton.

The prop has earned 10 caps for South Africa and was included in their tri-nations champion squad during the recent tournament.

Murphy, meanwhile, is available to face Munster in Saturday's domestic clash after being exonerated.