South African hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been handed a nine-game ban for grabbing an opponent's genitals and will not play again this year, missing the Springboks' four tests in Europe next month.
24 year old Wessels was found guilty by a United Rugby Championship disciplinary panel of "grabbing, twisting or squeezing the genitals" of Connacht flanker Josh Murphy when the Bulls edged a narrow win in Galway last Friday.
Josh Murphy punched Wessels during a ruck and told referee Mike Adamson that he was retaliating because his genitals had been grabbed.
There was no conclusive video evidence for the match officials to act on, so Wessels remained on the field while Murphy was red-carded.
However, the citing commissioner reported Wessels for an act of foul play and the disciplinary panel were satisfied that an act of foul play had occurred and found the incident met the red card threshold, with entry of low-end warranting a 12-week suspension.
The Springboks play Japan in London next weekend and then have subsequent weekend internationals in France, Italy and Ireland.
Source : Reuters/Radio NZ
