Dec 4, 2019
Ben O'Keeffe is a rugby union referee and ophthalmologist (eye doctor) from New Zealand. He referees at the domestic, super and test match level and was one of the assistant referees in this year's Rugby World Cup final in Japan.
O'Keeffe became an official referee in 2013 and has since
officiated 43 ITM Cup matches, 48 Super Rugby matches, 20 test
matches and now this year took control of 4 World Cup matches. In
this episode of the Rugby Bricks podcast, we chat Rugby World Cup
2019 and why it was the highest number of red cards ever handed out
by referees, how Ben deals with being both a doctor and referee,
handling the pressure of the players and dealing with the crap that
comes from the crowd.
In this episode, you'll learn what it looks like to deal with
pressure in a surgical context of looking after patients' eyes
through to taking the world stage and making some of the hardest
decisions a referee can make. This is an episode for any players or
coaches who need to learn how to better talk to the referee and
make sure they're with you and not against you.
So sit down, grab your notebook and get ready to study how the best
referees in the world officiate and how you can make sure you're on
the right side of the whistle.