Springbok Player Jan-Hendrik Wessels Receives Nine-Game Ban for Genital Grab

Springbok prop Wessels has been suspended of nine matches for grabbing opponent Josh Murphy's genitals during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over the Irish province.

This event took place in the early stages of the narrow victory against Connacht on Friday, with opposing player Josh Murphy being shown a 20-minute red card after striking back by striking the South African on the head area.

Following the Connacht player complained to referee Mike Adamson, the event was checked by the TMO, who determined no conclusive video evidence.

Wessels stayed on the pitch until he was replaced in the later stages of the game.

While the United Rugby Championship confirmed that Murphy's temporary sending-off was withdrawn by a disciplinary panel, Wessels was deemed to have breached the code of conduct, which specifies:

"Any athlete must not do anything that is contrary to the spirit of good sportsmanship. This includes grabbing, twisting or compressing the genitals."

Disciplinary officials concluded that the event reached the red card threshold and warranted a 12-week suspension, the shortest suspension under international rugby rules for such an infringement.

Nonetheless, the player's ban was reduced by 21 days because of his good conduct prior to and at the proceedings and his clean disciplinary history.

Wessels and the Pretoria-based team have the right to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the suspension will rule the 24-year-old out of the Springboks' fall internationals against the Brave Blossoms, France, Italy and Ireland.

He will also miss the Bulls' league matches against Warriors, the Emirates Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as Investec Champions Cup games with Bordeaux and Northampton.

The prop has earned 10 caps for South Africa and was part of their tri-nations champion squad over the summer.

Murphy, meanwhile, is available to face Munster in this weekend's inter-provincial derby after being cleared.