Ben O’Keeffe will be the man in the middle as the British Lions get their tour under way Down Under
The British & Irish Lions get their summer series under way Down Under on Saturday, with a match against Western Force the curtain-raiser for the tourists.
Andy Farrell has rung the changes, making 13 of them to be exact, to the team that lost 28-24 to Argentina in Dublin last Friday.
It is set to be a busy summer for Farrell and Co, with three Tests against the Wallabies the conclusion of a six-week tour.
It all starts today though, with players looking to lay down Test match markers to the head coach. New Zealander Ben O’Keeffe has been tasked with maintaining order during the game. Here’s everything you need to know about today’s referee.
Who is Ben O’Keeffe?
O’Keeffe began his refereeing career at the age of 19, turning professional five years later, and last year he became New Zealand’s most experienced Test referee in history.
He has also received the New Zealand referee of the year award three times and has officiated at two World Cups.
However, while he is recognised as one of the world’s top rugby referees, O’Keeffe leads a very different life away from the rugby field.
The 36-year-old is not just any ophthalmologist – he’s an adept eye doctor with a knack for technology, having co-founded oDocs Eye Care with an ambition to thwart 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.”
Yet, O’Keeffe doesn’t only rely on medicine and sports to fulfil his professional urges; he also offers cosmetic procedures. From his clinic in Auckland, he delivers anti-wrinkle treatments, including botox and Sunekos injections.
In December, taking to Instagram, the multitalented referee shared: “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”.
Aside from his varied career pursuits, O’Keeffe’s personal life flourishes too. Last autumn, he proposed to journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton during their getaway to South Africa.
Shrimpton, a famous newsreader and scribe back in New Zealand, previously worked alongside O’Keeffe’s sibling before turning her attention to 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.”
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Scary encounter with fan in toilet
On the field, O’Keeffe has been subjected to his fair share of criticism, enduring a particularly tough 2023 Rugby World Cup in Paris, which included a face-off with an irate supporter in a public lavatory.
Tasked with officiating the highly anticipated quarter-final clash between South Africa and France, the Kiwi referee found himself in the spotlight despite the electrifying match finishing 29-28 to the Springboks. Some contentious moments stirred considerable controversy, including South African Eben Etzebeth staying on the pitch after a questionable tackle on Uini Atonio, Damian de Allende not being penalised for an alleged forearm strike to Antoine Dupont’s head and Kwagga Smith not receiving a penalty following an illegal move that led to a pivotal turnover.
At the end of the game, a visibly frustrated Dupont leveled criticism at O’Keeffe and his officials, stating: “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 further expressed frustration regarding the officiating in a match, adding: “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 responded to Dupont’s remarks by understanding that they were made “in the heat of battle” and at “a very emotional time”.
Nonetheless, the backlash had a profound effect on O’Keeffe, with the subsequent days being quite harrowing as he faced hostility from supporters, leading to him feeling fearful in public places.
In the RugbyPass feature ‘Whistleblowers’, O’Keeffe confessed it was “one of the toughest I’ve ever had in my life”, adding: “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 by the All Blacks on mental health and rugby, he later explained. “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.”
