Ben O’Keeffe will take charge when the Wallabies meet Ireland in the opening round of the Nations Championship.
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The New Zealand referee is one of the most experienced officials in world rugby, having overseen more than 50 Test matches. He reached that milestone during Ireland’s clash with England in the 2025 Six Nations.
O’Keeffe continues to officiate across domestic competitions, Super Rugby and the international game. He also holds the New Zealand record for the most first-class matches, Super Rugby fixtures and Test matches refereed by a Kiwi official.
His standing within the game has been reflected through multiple accolades, having been named New Zealand Referee of the Year in 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Widely regarded as one of rugby’s most consistent and respected referees, O’Keeffe has nevertheless faced intense scrutiny during his career.
Following the 2023 Super Rugby final, he was subjected to significant social media abuse, including death threats. He later released a public statement condemning the abuse, receiving widespread support from across the rugby community, including New Zealand Rugby.
However, that episode was not the most difficult challenge he has encountered.
During the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, O’Keeffe endured one of the most demanding periods of his career.
After being appointed to referee the highly anticipated quarter-final between South Africa and hosts France, he found himself at the centre of controversy despite the Springboks’ dramatic 29-28 victory.
Several moments from the match became major talking points. Among them were Eben Etzebeth remaining on the field following a contentious challenge on Uini Atonio, Damian de Allende avoiding punishment for an alleged forearm to the head of Antoine Dupont, and Kwagga Smith escaping sanction after an unlawful act that led to a pivotal turnover.
The fallout from the match extended well beyond the field.
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.”
O’Keeffe later opened up further in an All Blacks video series focused on mental health in rugby, revealing the extent of the abuse he experienced after the match.
“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.”
Nations Championship Referee’s
Saturday, 4 July 2026
Australia v Ireland
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
- Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
- TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
- FPRO: Glenn Newman (NZR)
New Zealand v France
Venue: One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
- Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Christophe Ridley (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Katsuki Furuse (JRFU)
- TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
- FPRO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
South Africa v England
Venue: Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
- Referee: James Doleman (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR)
- TMO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
- FPRO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
Argentina v Scotland
Venue: Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Cordoba
- Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Paul Williams (NZR)
- Assistant Referee 2: Adam Leal (RFU)
- TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
- FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
Japan v Italy
Venue: Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo
- Referee: Nic Berry (RA)
- Assistant Referee 1: Luc Ramos (FFR)
- Assistant Referee 2: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
- TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
- FPRO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
Fiji v Wales
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
- Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
- Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU)
- Assistant Referee 2: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
- TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
- FPRO: Mike Adamson (SRU)
