Shocking Jan-Hendrik Wessels update proves URC disciplinary process needs a complete overhaul after shambolic failure
Bulls and Springboks forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Further details have emerged around Jan-Hendrik Wessels’ nine-week suspension for an alleged groping of Connacht’s Josh Murphy.
The front-rower was omitted from the Pretoria-based side’s United Rugby Championship (URC) fixture against Glasgow Warriors on Friday evening after being issued with his ban earlier in the week.
Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone confirmed to SuperSport that the franchise and player will appeal the decision that was handed down, with no clear video evidence of foul play taking place.
Murphy accused Wessels of the heinous act of groping him during the first half of the match URC fixture in Galway last Friday, but referee Mike Adamson and his officiating team was unable to find conclusive evidence of the alleged foul play, and he subsequently escaped punishment.
Appeal not possible, yet
It has been reported that no additional angles or footage were used in the disciplinary hearing that resulted in the nine-week suspension that rules the Bulls front-rower out of all the Springboks‘ November internationals.
Meanwhile, the URC confirmed that Murphy, who was shown a 20-minute red card for lashing out and striking Wessels on the head in response to what he believed to have occurred, has had his sending off rescinded. This meant that he was cleared to play in the Irish derby against Munster this weekend and was included in Stuart Lancaster’s starting line-up.
As for Wessels and the Bulls, they have not been able to formally appeal the suspension as they have not yet been provided with a full written judgment.
Respected South African journalist Brenden Nel confirmed as much in a video published on his YouTube channel on Friday, a few hours before the Bulls’ fixture against Glasgow Warriors, a week on from when the incident occurred.
According to Nel, the Bulls will only receive the full judgment from the independent disciplinary panel on Monday or Tuesday next week, adding to the controversy around the decisions.
Usually, the judgment is made available to all the parties involved on the same day that a decision is made, if not a day later, but that is not the case this time around.
A truly shocking turn of events, particularly when one considers that not only were the Bulls unable to appeal the decision and possibly get it overturned in time for their meeting with Glasgow, but Wessels will likely miss the Springboks’ clash with Japan at Wembley Stadium next week as well. No wonder Rassie Erasmus is fuming.
It’s a shambolic failure of the disciplinary panel and one that the URC simply cannot allow to happen going forward. It is worth noting again that these disciplinary panels are independent from the URC, but the tournament’s governing body should be demanding better.
The RFU template
The RFU manage to produce far better transparency around the decisions, not only in the top league in England, PREM Rugby, but also in the lower leagues too.
On the England Rugby website, every hearing and full judgment is made available for the public to read, but the same is not true for the URC, who provide brief statements, admittedly with handy infographics.
Frankly, the manner in which the RFU provides transparency shows confidence in the outcomes of the disciplinary process; the URC does not.
While the Wessels-Murphy saga is the most high-profile case this season, it is not the first time that a lack of clarity in decisions has left fans and pundits in the dark and scratching their heads.
Last season, Neethling Fouche’s ban was highly controversial, with the Stormers prop sanctioned for a dangerous tackle. He did make contact with the ball carrier’s head, but could not have done much more to get lower, with many seeing it as a ‘rugby incident’. Again, a brief statement was issued even after the appeal.
All in all, it’s plainly obvious that better processes need to be in place for these hearings, with the RFU providing the ideal template. It’s absurd for a full judgment not to be made available to the team within 24 hours of a decision, at the very least, never mind a week after the incident occurred. This should be wrapped days before the next round of action, not days after the next weekend. It’s utterly ridiculous and amateurish.
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