South African Player Wessels Given Nine-Game Suspension for Inappropriate Contact

South Africa prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been suspended of nine games for making contact with Josh Murphy's genitals during the Blue Bulls' United Rugby Championship win over the Irish province.

The altercation took place in the early stages of the close contest against Connacht on last Friday, with opposing player Murphy being shown a temporary dismissal after striking back by hitting the South African on the head area.

Following the Connacht player reported the incident to the match official, the contact was checked by the television match official, who determined no definitive proof.

The Bulls player stayed on the pitch until he was substituted in the later stages of the match.

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

"A player should not engage in actions that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship. Such behavior covers touching, pulling or compressing the genitals."

The panel concluded that the event met the red card threshold and warranted a three-month ban, the shortest suspension under World Rugby regulations for such an infringement.

However, the player's suspension was shortened by 21 days because of his cooperative behavior prior to and at the proceedings and his clean disciplinary history.

The forward and the Bulls are entitled to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the ban will prevent the 24-year-old out of the South African national team's fall internationals against Japan, France, Italy and the Irish team.

He will additionally be absent for the his club's URC games against Glasgow, the Emirates Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bordeaux and Northampton.

Wessels has earned ten international appearances for South Africa and was part of their tri-nations champion team over the summer.

The Connacht player, meanwhile, is available to play against the Irish rivals in this weekend's domestic clash after being exonerated.