New Zealand referee Ben O'Keeffe will officiate the first Test between the British & Irish Lions and Australia in Brisbane this weekend, bringing his considerable experience to the fore. However, the 36-year-old is no stranger to controversy, having faced intense criticism for his handling of the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final between South Africa and France.
O'Keeffe, who is also an ophthalmologist, co-founded oDocs Eye Care, a company aiming to prevent blindness. He joked: 'Certainly, no one can question my eyesight. I'm an ophthalmologist.' In addition, he offers cosmetic procedures including anti-wrinkle treatments at his Auckland clinic, promoting them on Instagram with the hashtag '#brotox'.
Away from rugby, O'Keeffe is engaged to journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton. He has spoken about his desire to settle down and start a family, saying: 'I've always wanted a family. I've always wanted a house where you can just settle down and be happy.'
O'Keeffe's most challenging moment came after the 2023 World Cup quarter-final, where his decisions sparked fury from France captain Antoine Dupont, who said: 'I don't think the refereeing was up to the level of what was at stake.' The hostility was so severe that O'Keeffe feared going out in public, recounting a frightening encounter in a toilet where a fan cornered him, saying: 'I told my friends if I ever saw Ben O'Keeffe in real life I was going to kill him.'
Despite the backlash, O'Keeffe remains one of his country's most experienced Test referees, having first taken up the whistle at 19. He has officiated at two World Cups and been named New Zealand Referee of the Year three times, balancing his medical career with the full-time demands of professional refereeing.
