Jan-Hendrick Wessels has been denied appeal after his 9 weeks suspension by the URC. Image by OFM
(The Post news)– Bulls and Springbok forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been handed a nine-week suspension following a United Rugby Championship (URC) disciplinary hearing. The panel found him guilty of “grabbing, twisting, or squeezing the genitals” during a match against Connacht.
The alleged incident happened in the 18th minute when Connacht flanker Josh Murphy complained to referee Mike Adamson. Match officials reviewed the footage at the time but found no conclusive evidence, allowing Wessels to continue playing, while Murphy was sent off for retaliating.
After the game, the citing commissioner charged Wessels under Law 9.27, which prohibits any act that goes against the spirit of positive sportsmanship, including the type of foul play he was accused of. The ruling, announced on Thursday afternoon, means Wessels will miss the remainder of the year, including several key fixtures for the Bulls.
What makes the situation controversial is that the Bulls insist no new video evidence was presented during the hearing. They claim the ban was based on the same footage that match officials had already reviewed and found inconclusive. According to SuperSport, sources within the team say they are deeply frustrated by the outcome and believe it raises serious questions about the consistency of disciplinary decisions.
The Bulls confirmed that Wessels was originally set to play against the Glasgow Warriors on Friday night but was withdrawn from the squad after the ruling. The decision has sparked debate, especially when compared to past high-profile incidents, such as Kyle Sinckler’s alleged bite during the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour and Tom Curry’s racism allegation against Bongi Mbonambi at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, both of which were dismissed due to lack of evidence.
Rassie Erasmus Reacts to Ruling
While Erasmus did not indicate that he was specifically referring to the reporting about the verdict on Wessels, it seemed that he was, as Wessels is in the squad as his third hooker for the upcoming tour of Europe.
On Wednesday, Makazole Mapimpi was banned for five weeks by a disciplinary committee for a tip tackle. Mapimpi was not in the Bok squad for the tour but was listed as a standby player.
Erasmus tweeted, “It just got tougher! We now have to beat them on the field and in the boardrooms. Hamba, man. Ts*k. Loop k*k”
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