Richards Bay have appointed Ronnie Gabriel as the club’s new head coach for next season with an option to renew.
Gabriel will be assisted by Siboniso Gumede.
The Natal Rich Boyz have operated with co-coaches over the past two seasons, but Gabriel has now been entrusted with sole responsibility for leading the team.
It marks Gabriel’s first appointment as a head coach in the Betway Premiership,
He is no stranger to the club, having previously served as an assistant coach under Pitso Dladla, Vusumuzi Vilakazi, Kaitano Tembo and Brandon Truter.
Richards Bay were left searching for a new head coach after Papi Zothwane, one of the co-coaches, departed at the end of last season to join Sekhukhune United as an assistant to Cedric Kaze.
With Zothwane, who spent almost two seasons at the club, moving on, Richards Bay have turned to Gabriel to lead the side into the 2026/27 campaign.
Gabriel is in his second spell with the club, having also served as assistant coach under Dladla when Richards Bay secured promotion to the PSL in the 2021/22 season.
He later formed part of a coaching trio alongside Zothwane and Gumede, guiding the club to a first-ever top-eight finish in the 2024/25 season.
The trio remained in charge last season as Richards Bay finished 11th in the Betway Premiership.
Ahead of the new campaign, Richards Bay have already lost Sbangani Zulu to Orlando Pirates but have strengthened their squad with the signing of centre-back Thamsanqa Ndelu from Mkhambathi.
They have also secured the services of left-back Siphamandla Gwele from lower-division side Ravens FC.
