Lions vs Western Force referee is a Doctor when he is not refereeing

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But the 36-year-old is more than just one of rugby’s top officials—he’s also a qualified doctor.

Starting refereeing at 19, turning pro at 24, and now New Zealand’s most capped Test ref, O’Keeffe has officiated at two World Cups and won Referee of the Year three times. Away from rugby, he co-founded oDocs Eye Care, developing tech to prevent blindness. “Certainly, no one can question my eyesight,” he once joked.

He even uses his medical skills in the cosmetic field—offering Botox and Sunekos treatments in Auckland. “Anti-wrinkle treatment is here,” he wrote on Instagram. “Especially for the bro’s who have never tried it… #brotox.”

O’Keeffe recently got engaged to journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton, proposing during a trip to South Africa. “I’ve always wanted a family... with the right person,” he said. The pair regularly post holiday snaps, including a recent romantic trip to Thailand, as they prepare for their wedding.

O’Keeffe’s role in South Africa’s one-point win over France in the 2023 World Cup quarter-final brought harsh scrutiny. Antoine Dupont blasted the officials: “I don’t think the refereeing was up to the level.”

The fallout rattled him. “I did feel scared being in public,” he admitted in Whistleblowers. One fan even threatened him in a bathroom: “I told my friends if I ever saw Ben O’Keeffe I was going to kill him.”

“Being hated by a nation isn’t nice,” he said—but O’Keeffe keeps going, eyes forward, whistle in hand.

Fri 20 June 2025
The Lions vs Argentina referee (Dublin)
Referee: James Doleman (NZ)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Andrea Piardi (Ita)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)
FPRO: Matteo Liperini (Ita)

Sat 28 Jun 2025
Western Force v B&I Lions (Perth)
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
ARs: Paul Williams (NZ) & James Doleman (NZ)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SA)
FPRO: Glenn Newman (NZ)

Wed 2 July 2025
Queensland Reds v B&I Lions (Brisbane)
Referee: James Doleman (NZ)
ARs: Paul Williams (NZ) & Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
TMO: Glenn Newman (NZ)
FPRO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SA)

Sat 5 July 2025
NSW Waratahs v B&I Lions (Sydney)
Referee: Paul Williams (NZ)
ARs: James Doleman (NZ) & Angus Mabey (NZ)
TMO: Richard Kelly (NZ)
FPRO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SA)

Wed 9 July 2025
ACT Brumbies v B&I Lions (Canberra)
Referee: Pierre Brousset (Fra)
ARs: Paul Williams (NZ) & Nika Amashukeli (GEO)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SA)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)

Sat 12 July 2025
Invitational AUS&NZL v B&I Lions (Adelaide)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Pierre Brousset (Fra)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)
FPRO: Marius Jonker (SA)

Australia v The B&I Lions (Brisbane)
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Andrea Piardi (Ita)
TMO: Richard Kelly (NZ)
FPRO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)

Tues 22 July 2025
First Nations & Pasifika XV v B&I Lions (Melbourne)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ) & Andrea Piardi (Ita)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)
FPRO: Richard Kelly (NZ)

Australia v The B&I Lions (Melbourne)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)
ARs: Nika Amashukeli (Geo) & Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)
FPRO: Marius Jonker (SA)

Australia v The B&I Lions (Sydney)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
ARs: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ) & Andrea Piardi (Ita)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)
FPRO: Richard Kelly (NZ)

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