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Incensed Bulls will appeal Bok forward's massive ban

rugby23 October 2025 15:47
By:Brenden Nel
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Jan-Hendrik Wessels © Getty Images

The Vodacom Bulls will appeal the massive nine-week suspension given to their Springbok utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels by a Vodacom United Rugby Championship disciplinary hearing on Wednesday.

The decision was only announced on Thursday afternoon, but it means that Wessels will not play any rugby for the rest of the calendar year and will miss several massive games should the ban be upheld.

The perplexing thing is that the Bulls have privately confirmed that no new video evidence was presented at the hearing and Wessels was allegedly banned on the same footage that the refereeing team could not find clear evidence of foul play.

If this is the case, it is deeply troubling, because if Wessels is found guilty without clear evidence it opens a dangerous can of worms that could backfire badly in the future.

PERPLEXING DECISION

The Vodacom Bulls have confirmed that Wessels was due to play for the team in Friday night’s URC match against Glasgow Warriors but was withdrawn because of the disciplinary hearing’s findings.

Privately the Bulls are incensed that the finding could have been made given there was an allegation but no clear evidence backing it up.

Considering two other high profile incidents in the past few years and how they were handled, it makes the decision even more perplexing.

In the British and Irish Lions tour in 2021 Kyle Sinckler was accused by Bok flanker Franco Mostert that he bit him in a ruck. The allegation was dismissed by a disciplinary committee because there was no clear evidence.

In the 2023 World Cup England flanker Tom Curry accused Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi of making a racial slur against him during the game.

World Rugby investigated the allegation and found that without evidence, they could not take the matter further.

But in this case the disciplinary committee, consisting of three Welsh officers - chair Declan Goodwin and Simon and Leah Thomas - have all found Wessels guilty, and have given him a harsh ban when there does not seem to be evidence of the incident itself.

RASSIE REACTS

The fallout from the verdict has begun, with the Bulls privately fuming and readying themselves for the appeal process while even Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus seems to have weighed in.

While Erasmus didn’t 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 another Springbok - Makazole Mapimpi - was banned for five weeks by a disciplinary committee for a tip tackle.

Mapimpi wasn’t 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. Tsek. Loop k*k”

URC STATEMENT

On Thursday, almost 24 hours after the hearing took place and way outside the normal protocols, the URC released this statement: “ The Disciplinary process related to Jan-Hendrik Wessels citing in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Round 4 game against Connacht Rugby on Friday, October 17 has resulted in a nine game suspension.

“The Citing Commissioner in charge reported Vodacom Bulls player No 2 (Jan-Hendrik Wessels), for an act of foul play in the 18th minute under Law 9.27 – A player must not do anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship. This includes grabbing, twisting or squeezing the genitals.

“The Panel overseeing the disciplinary process Declan Goodwin (Chair, Wales), Simon Thomas (Wales) and Leah Thomas (Wales) were satisfied that an act of foul play had occurred and found the incident met the Red Card threshold, with entry of low-end warranting a 12 week suspension. The Panel reduced the suspension by three weeks (25 per cent mitigation) due to the Player's good conduct prior to and at the hearing and good record which results in a nine game suspension.”

The list of games that Wessels is banned for includes the Springbok tour of Europe and the Bulls Investec Champions Cup games in December.

CONCERN ON PRECEDENT BEING SET

The concern is precisely that if players can be banned on allegations from other players without evidence, it could lead to this happening across the league, as a precedent has been set.

If the appeals process confirms the original decision, it would be very difficult not to use that precedent in other situations.

Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone told Supersport: “The Vodacom Bulls fully respect and will adhere to the judicial process, which provides for an appeal opportunity, which we will use.”

The incident happened during the 19th minute of the game, when Connacht flanker Josh Murphy lashed out against Wessels in the middle of a ruck, striking him in the face and then apologising to the referee, but claiming at the same time that Wessels had grabbed him in the groin area in the ruck.

Whether it happened, accidental or on purpose, the refereeing team as well as TMO Holly Davidson scoured the footage more than 10 times in the game and could find no conclusive evidence of any wrongdoing.

As such, the only incident that the referee could adjudicate on was a strike to the head, which cost Connacht and Murphy a 20-minute red card and incensed the crowd.

But the question remains - how - if multiple replays and an entire refereeing team could find nothing conclusive, could Wessels be banned for the act?

FIXTURES JAN-HENDRIK WESSELS IN UNAVAILABLE FOR:

Glasgow Warriors v Vodacom Bulls, 24 October 2025 Vodacom URC

South Africa v Japan, 1 November 2025, Castle Lager Outgoing Tour

France v South Africa, 8 November 2025, Quilter Nations Series

Italy v South Africa, 15 November 2025, Quilter Nations Series

Ireland v South Africa, 22 November 2025, Quilter Nations Series

Vodacom Bulls v Lions, 29 November 2025 Vodacom URC

Vodacom Bulls v Bordeaux Begles, 6 December 2025, Investec Champions Cup

Northampton Saints v Vodacom Bulls, 14 December 2025, Investec Champions Cup

Hollywoodbets Sharks v Vodacom Bulls, 20 December 2025 Vodacom URC

* The Player and the Club have the right to appeal.

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