Springbok Player Wessels Given Nine-Game Suspension for Genital Grab

South Africa prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels has received a ban of nine matches for making contact with Josh Murphy's genitals during the Blue Bulls' URC win over Connacht.

The altercation happened in the early stages of the narrow victory in Galway on last Friday, with opposing player Josh Murphy receiving a temporary dismissal after striking back by hitting Wessels on the head.

Following Murphy reported the incident to referee Mike Adamson, the contact was checked by the TMO, who determined insufficient clear footage.

Wessels remained on the pitch until he was replaced in the second half of the match.

While the URC announced that the Irish player's 20-minute red card was rescinded by a disciplinary panel, the Springbok was deemed to have breached law 9.27, which declares:

"Any athlete must not do anything that is against the principles of fair play. Such behavior covers touching, pulling or squeezing the genitals."

Disciplinary officials were satisfied that the incident reached the red card threshold and justified a three-month ban, the shortest suspension under World Rugby rules for such an violation.

However, Wessels' suspension was shortened by three weeks because of his cooperative behavior during the hearing and his clean disciplinary history.

Wessels and the Pretoria-based team are entitled to challenge the decision, but as it stands, the ban will prevent the young player out of the South African national team's fall internationals against Japan, Les Bleus, the Azzurri and Ireland.

He will additionally be absent for the his club's league matches against Warriors, the Emirates Lions and the Cell C Sharks, as well as European cup fixtures with Bègles and Saints.

The prop has earned ten international appearances for South Africa and was included in their tri-nations champion squad during the recent tournament.

The Connacht player, meanwhile, is available to face Munster in Saturday's inter-provincial derby after being cleared.