Player Receives Nine-Game Ban After Shocking Genital Grab Incident

South African front-rower Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been hit with a nine-game suspension after a disciplinary hearing into his foul play against Connacht in the Bulls' United Rugby Championship (URC) match last Friday.

The foul occurred in the 18th minute of the Bulls' thrilling 28-27 victory in Galway last Friday when Wessels grabbed the genitals of Connacht forward Josh Murphy.

The incident ran out of control quickly when Murphy retaliated and hit Wessels on the head, receiving a 20-minute red card from the competition's new disciplinary system.

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The Connacht forward complained straight away to referee Mike Adamson, letting him know of Wessels' actions. Television Match Official (TMO) Hollie Davidson reviewed the video but stated that there was no clear video evidence at the time, allowing Wessels to play on until he came off in the second half.

Following a post-match inquiry, the URC's disciplinary committee scrutinized the citing commissioner's report more intensely, charging Wessels with Law 9.27 — a rule prohibiting behavior "contrary to the spirit of good sportsmanship" and explicitly banning grabbing, twisting, or squeezing genitals.

The panel, led by Declan Goodwin and with the support of Simon Thomas and Leah Thomas (both from Wales), ruled that the act was over the red card mark and deserved a serious suspension.

Upon reflection of the seriousness of the offence, the disciplinary panel determined that the offence warranted a 12-week suspension, the minimum penalty in World Rugby regulations for this kind of conduct.

But in consideration of Wessels' past good record for discipline and his "good conduct prior to and at the hearing," the suspension was trimmed three weeks, bringing the number of matches he must miss to nine.

The Bulls' 24-year-old hooker will now miss several critical games for the Bulls, such as URC encounters against Glasgow Warriors, the Lions, and Sharks, and Investec Champions Cup matches against Bordeaux and Northampton Saints.

In terms of international duties, Wessels' suspension will also mean that he will be out of action during the Springboks' autumn Tests against Japan, France, Italy, and Ireland.

While Wessels languished for so long on the sidelines, Murphy's disciplinary hearing produced a vastly different outcome.

The 20-minute red card issued to the forward of Connacht was reversed after the panel found his response, while physical, to be provoked and justified by the context of the initial incident.

The ruling leaves Murphy free to play this weekend for Connacht against Munster in their inter-provincial derby.

Wessels, who played 10 times for South Africa and was part of the team's Rugby Championship-winning tour in the first half of this year, and the Bulls still have the right to appeal the ruling.

But unless overturned, the suspension will serve as a stark reminder of World Rugby's strong stance in maintaining respect, sportsmanship, and player welfare on the field.