Ben O'Keeffe is a world-renowned rugby union referee and ophthalmologist (eye doctor) from New Zealand. He has climbed to the top of the referee ladder and is cited as one of the top referees leading into the Rugby World Cup in France this year.
O'Keeffe became an official referee in 2013 and has since officiated 43 ITM Cup matches, 75 Super Rugby matches & over 30 test matches and took control of 4 World Cup matches in 2019 and even a British Irish Lions Series in 2021. In this episode of the Rugby Bricks podcast, we chat Rugby World Cup 2023 and how this tournament will have added pressure for the match officials and how Ben deals with media scrutiny, coaches and public pressure.
Ben has skyrocketed to the top of the referring world and it’s a credit to the time he spends learning about the game and admitting his mistakes and finding ways to get better. In this episode, we dive into:
How referees rectify their mistakes and make sure future games aren’t affected by the decisions made.
The decision from Ben to issue a red card to Marika Koroibete vs France and understanding the impact it had when it was an incorrect decision.
The amount of pressure referees face from coaches, the public and the media pre and post-games and how they are reviewed by the referring committee.
Ben’s challenge of refereeing a game French leading into the World Cup in France and how this has drastically helped his personal and professional development.
This episode is full of detail and insights, whether you are a player, coach or supporter, you'll learn what it takes to make second-by-second choices when taking the world stage and how decisive you have to be to make some of the hardest decisions a referee can make with the crackdown on player safety and new laws introduced.
#47: Rachel Vickery | How The Melbourne Storm Use Breathing Tactics to Excel Under Pressure
#46: Joe Rokocoko | The Fijian Flyer & The Art of Deception On The Pitch
#45: Robbie Deans | Creating The Crusaders Championship Culture & Building Living Legacies
#44: Black Friday | The Launch Of Our Latest Product
#43: Gareth Jenkinson | Interviewing Siya Kolisi After The 2019 World Cup Final & Revitalising Rugby In South Africa
#42: Leo Breen | Establishing The Rugby Bricks Values & The History Of Rugby Bricks
#41: Alev Kelter | How Ice Hockey Created A Rugby Olympian & The Mantra of Self Awareness
#40: Christian Leali'ifano | A Master Class In Game Driving & Leading Your Team
#39: Mike Harris | What It Takes To Become A World-Class Goal Kicker & The Student Mindset
#38: The Greatest Rugby Bricks Podcast Ever
#37: Will Greenwood | Winning The 2003 World Cup With Jonny Wilkinson & Owning Your Role On The Pitch
#36: Mike Cron | The Man Behind The All Blacks Front Row & Becoming One Of The Most Innovative & Respected Coaches Of All Time
#35: Abby Gustaitis | Leading The US Eagles & Understanding The Science Behind World Class Habits
#34: Otere Black | Learning From Dan Carter, Beauden Barrett & The Resurgence Of Blues Rugby
#33: Will Greenwood | English World Cup Winner & Master Of Communication & Leadership
#32: Peter Breen | Understanding The Micro Skills That Make You Better
#31: Matt Toomua | Rugby World Cup 2019 As A Wallaby & Exploiting Micro Skills To Become World Class
#30: Devin Markle | Olympic, NBA & NFL Sports Psychologist On Mastering Anxiety Performance
#29: Jay Main | How To Return To Play After COVID-19 & Cutting Your Injury Risk In Half
#28: Stephen Larkham | World Rugby Hall of Famer & Using Competition To Become Your Best
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Good, The Bad & The Rugby
The Good, The Bad & The Rugby: Australia & New Zealand
The Good, The Bad & The Rugby: South Africa
RTÉ Rugby Podcast
The Rugby Pod