South African Player Wessels Given Nine-Game Suspension for Genital Grab

South Africa prop Wessels has received a ban of nine games for touching opponent Josh Murphy's private parts during the Blue Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over Connacht.

This event happened in the early stages of the narrow victory in Galway on last Friday, with opposing player Josh Murphy receiving a temporary dismissal after striking back by striking Wessels on the head area.

After the Connacht player reported the incident to referee Mike Adamson, the event was reviewed by the TMO, who concluded no conclusive video evidence.

The Bulls player remained on the field until he was substituted in the later stages of the match.

While the URC announced that the Irish player's temporary sending-off was withdrawn by a governing body, the Springbok was found to have breached law 9.27, which states:

"A player should not engage in actions that is against the principles of fair play. This includes grabbing, pulling or compressing the genitals."

The panel concluded that the incident met the level for dismissal and justified a 12-week suspension, the shortest ban under international rugby rules for such an infringement.

However, Wessels' ban was reduced by three weeks because of his good conduct prior to and at the hearing and his clean disciplinary history.

Wessels and the Pretoria-based team have the right to challenge the decision, but currently, the ban will prevent the young player out of the Springboks' fall internationals against Japan, France, the Azzurri and the Irish team.

He will additionally be absent for the Bulls' league matches against Glasgow, the Emirates Lions and the Sharks, as well as Investec Champions Cup fixtures with Bègles and Northampton.

The prop has won ten international appearances for the Springboks and was part of their tri-nations champion team over the summer.

Murphy, in contrast, is eligible to face the Irish rivals in this weekend's inter-provincial derby after being cleared.