South African Forward Wessels Handed Nine-Match Ban for Inappropriate Contact
The player will be unavailable for the Springboks' autumn internationals.
Springbok prop Wessels has been suspended of nine games for making contact with Josh Murphy's private parts during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship victory over Connacht.
The altercation took place in the 18th minute of the Bulls' 28-27 win in Galway on last Friday, with Connacht forward Josh Murphy being shown a 20-minute red card after reacting angrily by hitting the South African on the head area.
After the Connacht player reported the incident to the match official, the event was examined by the TMO, who found no conclusive video evidence.
The Bulls player stayed on the field until he was replaced in the later stages of the match.
While the United Rugby Championship announced that Murphy's temporary sending-off was withdrawn by a disciplinary panel, the Springbok was found to have breached law 9.27, which states:
"A player should not engage in actions that is contrary to the principles of fair play. This includes touching, twisting or compressing the genitals."
Disciplinary officials concluded that the contact reached the level for dismissal and justified a 12-week suspension, the shortest ban under international rugby rules for such an infringement.
However, the player's ban was shortened by three weeks because of his good conduct during the hearing and his clean disciplinary history.
Wessels and the Bulls have the right to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the ban will rule the 24-year-old out of the Springboks' fall internationals against the Brave Blossoms, France, Italy and Ireland.
Wessels will additionally be absent for the his club's 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 won ten international appearances for the Springboks and was part of their tri-nations champion team over the summer.
Murphy, meanwhile, is eligible to play against Munster in this weekend's inter-provincial derby after being exonerated.
