Springbok Player Wessels Handed Nine-Match Ban for Genital Grab

South Africa prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been suspended of nine matches for touching opponent Josh Murphy's genitals during the Bulls' URC win over Connacht.

The altercation happened in the early stages of the narrow victory against Connacht on last Friday, with opposing player Josh Murphy receiving a temporary dismissal after reacting angrily by striking the South African on the head area.

After Murphy reported the incident to the match official, the event was checked by the TMO, who concluded insufficient clear footage.

Wessels stayed on the field until he was replaced in the second half of the game.

Although the URC confirmed that Murphy's temporary sending-off was overturned by a governing body, the Springbok was deemed to have violated the code of conduct, which declares:

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

Disciplinary officials were satisfied that the incident met the red card threshold and justified a 12-week suspension, the minimum suspension under international rugby rules for such an violation.

However, Wessels' suspension was shortened by 21 days because of his good conduct prior to and at the hearing and his clean disciplinary history.

Wessels and the Bulls are entitled to challenge the decision, but currently, the ban will prevent the 24-year-old out of the South African national team's fall internationals against Japan, Les Bleus, the Azzurri and Ireland.

Wessels will also miss the his club's URC games against Glasgow, the Emirates Lions and the Sharks, as well as Investec Champions Cup games with Bordeaux and Northampton.

Wessels has earned ten international appearances for the Springboks and was part of their Rugby Championship-winning team during the recent tournament.

The Connacht player, in contrast, is eligible to face the Irish rivals in Saturday's inter-provincial derby after being cleared.