Wessels suspended nine matches after URC ruling on Connacht incident

JanHendrik Wessels, a Springboks frontrower for the Bulls, has been suspended for nine matches by a United Rugby Championship disciplinary panel for an incident in the Bulls’ 28-27 win over Connacht on October 17 in Galway. The panel found that Wessels committed an act of foul play under Law 9.27 by grabbing, twisting or squeezing the genitals of Connacht flanker Josh Murphy in the 18th minute, and determined the conduct met the red-card threshold. An initial 12-week entry sanction was reduced by three weeks for mitigation, producing the nine-match ban.

The URC issued a statement naming the three-person panel and setting out its finding and sanction. The panel said the citing commissioner reported the incident and that, after hearing evidence, the committee was satisfied an act of foul play had occurred. As a result, Wessels is barred from selection for the Bulls’ upcoming fixtures and is unavailable for South Africa’s autumn internationals if the suspension stands. The player and club retain the right to appeal.

On the field at Dexcom Stadium, referee Mike Adamson and television match official Hollie Davidson reviewed footage at the time and reported no conclusive evidence to...