O’Leary will be joined by assistant referees Jan-Hendrik Hintz (New Zealand) and Ravinesh Kumar (Fiji) for the prestigious event, which is set to take place in Japan from December 8 to 18.
One trio from each of FIFA’s five other confederations – AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and UEFA – have also been nominated, along with a local support trio from Japan.
The selected match officials will preside over eight games in the seven-team tournament, which will see the champions of each confederation and a host representative fight it out to become the best club side on the planet.
The latest appointment continues an impressive run of postings at international FIFA events for O’Leary.
The Whangarei-based school teacher took part in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia during July and August and was joined in South America by Kumar and Solomon Islander Jackson Namo.
O’Leary also made the cut for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa with assistants Brent Best (New Zealand) and Matthew Taro (Solomon Islands), during which he was called into action as a fourth official.
The upcoming involvement of O’Leary, Hintz and Kumar in Japan 2011 is the latest positive result of the confederation’s Refereeing Assistance Programme (RAP).
OFC places great importance on developing world-class referees and this has been strongly supported by FIFA through its funding of the programme.
Under the supervision of referee development officer Massimo Raveino, referee instructor Neil Poloso and fitness trainer Kader Touati, the programme is helping to create a more organised, professional approach to refereeing in the Pacific.

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