Richards Bay FC has undergone a series of significant ownership and identity changes throughout its history. The club’s evolution spans decades, marked by financial challenges, relocations, and rebranding, each shaping the path to its current status.
The club’s roots date back to 1958 in Cape Town when a club named Hellenic FC was founded. The club later became a powerhouse in South African football during the 1970s.
Due to financial struggles, the club marked its first major transformation as it changed hands and was sold to new ownership, rebranding its name to Benoni Premier United and moving up north to the then Transvaal Province in Benoni.
At the end of the 2006/07 season, financial woes again struck the club, which then saw the franchise being bought by a Swedish consortium that included Sven-Goran Eriksson. Under new ownership, the club moved its franchise from Benoni to KwaZulu-Natal, renaming the club to Thanda Royal Zulu affectionately known as AmaBhubesi (“The Lions”). They played their home games at the Richards Bay Stadium. In 2010 the club moved its headquarters from Durban to Richards Bay permanently.
The modern Richards Bay Football Club was officially formed in 2017 when current chairman and owner, Jomo Biyela, acquired the status of Thanda Royal Zulu. With a fresh identity and renewed ambition, the club set its sights on reaching the top of South African football.
In the 2021/22 season, Richards Bay FC made their mark as they gained promotion into South Africa’s Premier Soccer League division, as winners of the GladAfrica Championship, South Africa’s second division league.
To date, the Natal Rich Boys, as they are affectionately known, compete in the top-tier Betway Premier League.