Springbok Player Jan-Hendrik Wessels Handed Nine-Match Suspension for Inappropriate Contact

Springbok prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been suspended of nine games for touching Josh Murphy's private parts during the Blue Bulls' URC victory over Connacht.

The incident happened in the 18th minute of the narrow victory against Connacht on Friday, with Connacht forward Josh Murphy receiving a 20-minute red card after striking back by striking Wessels on the head area.

After Murphy complained to the match official, the contact was reviewed by the TMO, who determined no conclusive video evidence.

Wessels remained on the pitch until he was substituted in the second half of the game.

While the URC confirmed that Murphy's temporary sending-off was withdrawn by a governing body, Wessels was found to have breached law 9.27, which specifies:

"A player should not do anything that is contrary to the spirit of good sportsmanship. This includes touching, twisting or squeezing the private areas."

Disciplinary officials concluded that the incident met the red card threshold and warranted a three-month ban, the minimum ban under World Rugby rules for such an offence.

Nonetheless, the player's ban was shortened 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 are entitled to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the ban will rule the young player out of the Springboks' fall internationals against Japan, France, the Azzurri and Ireland.

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

The prop has earned 10 caps for the Springboks and was part of their Rugby Championship-winning team during the recent tournament.

The Connacht player, in contrast, is eligible to play against the Irish rivals in this weekend's inter-provincial derby after being cleared.