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Sport Nation
Ben O'Keeffe: Inside the mind of an elite rugby referee
Kieran Bingham • August 8th, 2025 12:46 pm
Ben O'Keeffe during the 2023 RWC | Photo: Photosport
In elite rugby, where the margins are razor thin and the pressure relentless, it takes a rare kind of person to stand in the middle and make the calls that can shape the fortunes of nations.
Proud Kiwi Ben O’Keeffe is one of those few.
But before the bright lights and global broadcasts, his journey started somewhere much quieter.
“I was at university, first year,” O’Keeffe tells Sport Nation's Millsy & Guy.
“I trialled for a team and just didn't really love playing the game, but I just loved rugby so much. My dad refereed in Marlborough when I grew up. He said, look, you should start refereeing. Get amongst it that way. And I said yeah, great, let's give it a go, and just loved it.”
That early passion eventually took him all the way to the highest levels of the sport, including the iconic British and Irish Lions series. One of his most memorable experiences came during the recent Wallabies series, where the atmosphere left a lasting impression.
“It was pretty special. I was fortunate enough to do the Lions series in South Africa, but that was during COVID, so there were no crowds. So this series, for a whole different reason, was so special. The crowds were there before the game. Melbourne was flooded in red jerseys.”
He pauses to reflect on a moment before kickoff that he’ll never forget.
“There’s about five minutes before the anthems. The teams are warming up and you’re about to blow the whistle. AC/DC, Hells Bells started playing. And I was in the centre of the stadium by myself. It was packed. I was thinking, no matter what's gonna happen in the next 80 minutes, this is pretty cool.”
But the biggest challenges don’t always come under stadium lights. O’Keeffe says some of the toughest games to referee happen far away from the cameras, as we've seen in recent weeks.
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“I’ve said so many times that sometimes refereeing a big Test match is a lot easier than under-15 or lower grade games. You get a lot of input from parents. And unfortunately, over the last few weeks, some more physical and verbal abuse. A real shame it's out there, but we're trying to make people more aware so we can stop it.”
At the top level, scrutiny is constant, and mistakes are magnified in ways players rarely face, especially in the 'social media era'.
“That’s part of the nerves. You can prepare as well as you can, but you don’t know what’s going to happen. Teams can knock a ball on and still win. But when referees get something wrong, it’s the photo, the face. That’s just the environment. That’s why we love the game and I love refereeing.”
Once the match is over, the work continues with a thorough review process that starts the next day.
“We do a full review post-game. Not that night - you need to decompress. On Sunday, I’ll go through the match for about three hours. I look at decisions, errors, non-decisions, positioning, communication, what I could do better. Then I align it with my coach. On Monday, we review it all together and ask, how can we be better next week?”
Preparation isn’t just individual. O’Keeffe explains how detailed the team dynamics are among the match officials.
“I have an open mic. Everything I say goes to my assistant referees, the TMO, the foul play review officer, and the sideline officials. They all have input.”
He adds that clarity around roles is essential.
“We work really hard during the week on role clarity. So I know the first pillar at the ruck is mine, and the wider offside is my AR’s. When two players are in the air chasing a kick, I’m watching for foul play and my AR checks for blocking. They can press a button and say, ‘Ben, player, penalty, advantage, penalty against red,’ and so on.”
Despite the teamwork (and concern of punters), O’Keeffe says the final call still rests with him when he stands in the middle of the paddock.
“I need to lead the game. If someone else is refereeing it, maybe I’m not doing my job well enough. I’ve got to trust the team, because I can’t do it alone - it's too hard, it's too fast. But ultimately I need to be making the decision.”
In the final stages of a tight match, the stakes become even higher. A great example was raised from the recent Lions v Wallabies series - yes, that call to end the second test, and the Wallabies series chances with it.
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“We call it end-game refereeing. In the last 10 minutes, whether you make a decision or not, you're determining the outcome. Even holding off on your whistle, you're impacting the game.”
The team puts significant work into preparing for those critical moments.
“We work during the week on how to handle that. How we take our time, separate the captains, create space, go through foul play reviews. Are we missing anything?”
With the modern game pushing for more ball-in-play time and faster pace, referees are under growing pressure to be both precise and efficient. O’Keeffe knows that sometimes errors happen, but being clear in their reasoning is key.
“There’s a little bit of human error in everything. Sometimes it’s just a different interpretation. Every high tackle is slightly different. There are different elements of head contact, danger, and mitigation. As long as we can clearly explain those, that’s what matters.”
At the heart of it all, he sees refereeing as a role of service.
“Ultimately, we want to be part of the game that showcases the talents of players and the environment as well.”
From the local fields of Marlborough to the world’s biggest stages, Ben O’Keeffe has proven that refereeing is far more than enforcing rules. It’s about trust, communication, leadership, and love for the game.
Listen to the full interview below:
