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

Springbok front-rower Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been suspended of nine matches for grabbing Josh Murphy's private parts during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship win over the Irish province.

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

Following the Connacht player reported the incident to the match official, the event was examined by the television match official, who found no conclusive video evidence.

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

Although the United Rugby Championship confirmed that Murphy's 20-minute red card was rescinded by a disciplinary panel, Wessels was deemed to have violated law 9.27, which states:

"A player must not do anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship. Such behavior covers grabbing, pulling or compressing the genitals."

The panel determined that the incident met the red card threshold and justified a 12-week suspension, the shortest ban under World Rugby rules for such an infringement.

However, the player's suspension was shortened by 21 days because of his cooperative behavior during the hearing and his clean disciplinary history.

The forward and the Pretoria-based team are entitled to appeal, but as it stands, the ban will rule the 24-year-old out of the Springboks' fall internationals against Japan, Les Bleus, Italy and Ireland.

He will additionally be absent for the his club's league matches against Glasgow, the Emirates Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bègles and Saints.

Wessels has won ten international appearances for South Africa and was part of their Rugby Championship-winning squad over the summer.

Murphy, in contrast, is available to play against the Irish rivals in this weekend's domestic clash after being cleared.