Officiating a Rugby World Cup final is the highest honour for a referee, but Ben O’Keeffe is willing to pass on that opportunity for the betterment of the All Blacks.
O’Keeffe ranks as one of the best international referees in the game right now, with his CV boasting two British and Irish Lions Test matches, while the New Zealander also took charge of the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter and semi-finals involving the Springboks.
He was precluded from the showpiece event in 2023 due to the All Blacks reaching the final against South Africa, as officials cannot officiate matches involving their fellow countrymen.
Ben O’Keeffe: I want to see the All Blacks in the final
O’Keeffe says that all referees are competitive and want to take charge of the biggest games, and it doesn’t get bigger than the Rugby World Cup final, but is willing to never officiate the showpiece event if it means that the All Blacks have reached the pinnacle.
“It is competitive; we all want to be challenged by the big games. Now, every game is a big game, like I said, but I’d be lying if I didn’t want to do the final next year if the All Blacks weren’t in it. First and foremost, I want the All Blacks there,” he told the DSPN Podcast with Martin Devlin.
“I loved being in the final last time watching the All Blacks play because I’m actually a rugby fan first and foremost. So that was cool for me. But there is a bit of competition to want to do those big games, Lions series, semi-finals, and quarter-finals.”
Later on in the show, the New Zealand official doubled down on his take and explained: “Honestly, I would never want to referee a World Cup final if it meant that the All Blacks could win it, and the reason I say that, it’s so genuine, is I remember the 2011 World Cup final that we won when I was in Dunedin.
“I had big medical exams like a few days after I watched the finals, I thought ‘I better go home to study’, but I just couldn’t because the atmosphere, people were driving around they had flags out the window they were so happy and I just realised like this is what rugby means to people in New Zealand and I think you know that’s an amazing thing. I want to see it happen many more times in my lifetime.”
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“10 years ago, we’d actually be happy if someone had a poor game”
The best performing referees during tournaments are the ones who are appointed for the biggest matches, and while all the officials want to get those fixtures, O’Keeffe says there has been a shift in the relationship between officials who support one another.
This attitude shift has led to better games, according to the experienced ref.
“What has changed is that the game requires the four or five men or women who are refereeing to really work well together to be successful,” he explained.
“When there’s no media about a referee on the weekend, even if I haven’t been refereeing, that’s success for me because if there’s a poor game, a poor decision that reflects on a referee, it actually reflects on me as well.
“Maybe 10 years ago, we’d actually be happy if someone had a poor game, where now I think we’re all supportive and we actually want everyone to succeed, and I think that leads to the better games on the field that we get.”
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