Ben O’Keeffe will be in the man in charge of Wales v Argentina in Cardiff on Sunday
Rugby referee Ben O’Keefe
The Steve Tandy era gets under way in Cardiff this afternoon, with the proud Tonmawr native taking charge of his first Wales game.
The new national team coach has earned this opportunity after stints with the Ospreys, the Waratahs Down Under, Scotland and the British & Irish Lions, with a newfound sense of optimism enveloping supporters ahead of a testing autumn schedule.
After today’s game against the Pumas, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa all visit the Principality Stadium in a key run of fixtures for Wales’ world ranking prospects, with the draw for the next Rugby World Cup taking place next month.
What will signify progress for Wales will vary from person to person, but supporters will want to see an improvement and a sense of identity at the very least.
New Zealander Ben O’Keeffe has been given the responsibility of ensuring order during the game against the South Americans.
Here’s everything you need to know about today’s referee.
Who is Ben O’Keeffe?
O’Keeffe embarked on his refereeing career at the tender age of 19, turning professional five years later, and last year he became New Zealand’s most seasoned Test referee in history.
He has also been honoured with the New Zealand referee of the year award three times and has officiated at two World Cups.
Despite being recognised as one of the world’s leading rugby referees, O’Keeffe leads a very different life away from the rugby pitch.
The 36-year-old isn’t just any ophthalmologist – he’s a skilled eye doctor with a flair for technology, having co-founded oDocs Eye Care with a mission to combat blindness.
He previously said: “Certainly, no one can question my eyesight,” recognising his expertise in the field. “I’m an ophthalmologist. I’ve been lucky enough to balance both careers over the last couple of years as being a professional referee has become a full-time commitment.”
However, O’Keeffe doesn’t limit himself to medicine and sport alone; he also provides cosmetic treatments. Operating from his Auckland clinic, he offers anti-ageing procedures, including botox and Sunekos injections.
Last December, the multi-skilled referee took to Instagram, writing: “Over the summer I use my medical skills as a doctor before rugby ramps up again. Anti-wrinkle treatment is here and I am happy to help you tailor the look that you want. Especially for the bro’s who have never tried it and want to see what all the fuss is about #brotox”.
Beyond his diverse professional endeavours, O’Keeffe’s personal life is equally fulfilling. Last autumn, he became engaged to journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton while on holiday in South Africa.
Shrimpton, a well-known newsreader and writer in New Zealand, previously worked alongside O’Keeffe’s brother before she began following her now-fiancé on social media. “I’ve always wanted a family. I’ve always wanted a house where you can just settle down and be happy,” O’Keefe said earlier in their relationship.
“But I’ve always wanted to do that with the right person, so I’ve waited. Now I’ve found Wilhelmina, I’m sure all of that stuff will happen.”
Frightening confrontation
On the pitch, O’Keeffe has faced his share of scrutiny, experiencing a particularly challenging 2023 Rugby World Cup in Paris, which saw him confronted by an angry fan in a public toilet.
Given responsibility for overseeing the eagerly awaited quarter-final between South Africa and France, the New Zealand official became the focus of attention despite the thrilling encounter ending 29-28 in favour of the Springboks.
Several incidents sparked significant debate, such as South African Eben Etzebeth remaining on the field after a questionable challenge on Uini Atonio, Damian de Allende avoiding punishment for an alleged forearm contact to Antoine Dupont’s head and Kwagga Smith escaping sanction following an unlawful action that resulted in a crucial turnover.
Following the final whistle, a clearly disappointed Dupont directed criticism towards O’Keeffe and his team, saying: “It’s hard to talk about these things because there’s lots of disappointment and frustration. We could have had some penalties at crucial moments.”
Dupont voiced his dissatisfaction with the match officials, stating: “I don’t want to be a bad loser and moan about the refereeing but I don’t think the refereeing was up to the level of what was at stake. It’s not just one person, there are TMOs, assistant referees and they have time to review images as the game is going on. This doesn’t take anything away from South Africa’s performance, they played a great game.”
O’Keeffe acknowledged Dupont’s comments were delivered “in the heat of battle” during “a very emotional time”.
However, the criticism took a significant toll on O’Keeffe, with the following days proving particularly difficult as he encountered abuse from fans, leaving him anxious about appearing in public spaces.
Speaking in the RugbyPass documentary ‘Whistleblowers’, O’Keeffe admitted it was “one of the toughest I’ve ever had in my life”, continuing: “I did feel scared around being in public, I just didn’t want to lock myself in my room though. I was starting to second guess, like can I actually go out in public now?
“In the meantime, I’m trying to prepare for the biggest game I’ve ever been involved in. It took me a lot to get my head in the right space. To be hated by a nation isn’t nice.”
In a video series produced by the All Blacks focusing on mental health within rugby, he subsequently revealed: “We knew as referees going into that game that there was going to be controversy no matter what. I guess I hadn’t really prepared myself for the level of criticism and the onslaught that came in afterwards.
“I’d done the semi-final and I was actually in the bathroom and someone came up to me and asked me if I was Ben O’Keeffe. I said yes and he said ‘look, I told my friends if I ever saw Ben O’Keeffe in real life I was going to kill him’.
“I was in a corner of this bathroom, cornered by this person and three other people and I just got out of there. Those sort of moments really affected my mental wellbeing and my mental health. I started questioning myself again.”
