A United Rugby Championship disciplinary panel has banned Bulls hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels for nine weeks after finding him guilty of grabbing and twisting Connacht flanker Josh Murphy's genitals during a recent match. The decision relies on testimony and circumstantial evidence, with no video confirmation of the incident. The Bulls have appealed the sanction.
The incident occurred in the 18th minute of the Bulls' United Rugby Championship match against Connacht last Friday. Wessels, clearing a ruck, was accused of the assault, which he denies. Connacht's Josh Murphy claimed it happened and reacted by punching Wessels in the head, earning a red card from referee Mike Adamson during the game.
The disciplinary panel sided with Murphy's testimony despite the absence of visual or physical evidence. Citing Commissioner Peter Ferguson, from Ireland, admitted he did not see the act live or on video, having been seated about 20 meters away. The panel's report highlighted circumstantial factors: Murphy's immediate reaction, his consistent and credible testimony, the unnatural movement of Wessels' left arm toward Murphy's groin, and Ferguson's live observation.
"While the video footage does not provide irrefutable visual confirmation of the exact point of contact, the totality of evidence... leads to a compelling conclusion," the report stated. It further noted, "The movement of Wessels’ left arm, away from his body and toward Murphy’s groin, is not only unnatural but also unnecessary in the context of ruck engagement."
Under URC rules, the burden was on Wessels to disprove the complaint on the balance of probabilities, differing from civil court standards. The panel rescinded Murphy's red card, effectively condoning his retaliation. Murphy has a disciplinary history, including a four-match ban last year for a shoulder charge on Ulster's James McCormick and a two-game suspension in 2021 for unintentional eye contact against Glasgow. Wessels, conversely, has no prior suspensions.
The Bulls appealed the ban on principle, focusing on the citing commissioner's accuracy—his report claimed 20 meters from the incident, while Wessels' representative noted the ruck was about 25 meters from the touchline—and the match officials' failure to spot it, even with technology. The appeal is scheduled for this week, possibly Thursday. Despite the ban, Wessels joined the Springboks in London, signaling confidence in a successful outcome.