Richards Bay will play Betway Premiership football next season — and coach Ronnie Gabriel says he never doubted it for a second.
The Natal Rich Boyz secured their top-flight status with a goalless draw against Golden Arrows in the KwaZulu-Natal derby at King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday. The result saw Bay reach the crucial 30-point mark, keeping them 11th on the log with a game to spare.
It’s a major relief for a club that hovered dangerously close to the relegation scrap for much of the campaign. But Gabriel — who has been part of the Richards Bay technical team from the beginning of the season as Brandon Truter’s assistant — insisted he always believed survival was possible.
The 42-year-old later became co-coach alongside Jomo Gumede and, eventually, worked hand-in-hand with Papi Zothwane during the second half of the campaign. Now, with safety mathematically secured, Gabriel allowed himself a moment to reflect on the journey.
“I feel very good,” he said.
“Remember, with the club that we are, it’s always a collective. We’ve all worked together — with coach Jomo Gumede, Papi Zothwane, Vusi Gumede and coach Shona as well who does fitness — so it’s always a collective effort.”
While Bay’s season had its fair share of turbulence, Gabriel insists he was always calm.
“We always knew, I personally always knew it was possible to stay in the league,” he said.
“In terms of preparation and getting the team ready week in and week out and working through the micro cycles, I knew I was capable of handling the task at hand. It was certainly not a task too big for me.”
What’s remarkable is the youthfulness of the squad that managed to get over the line.
“The entire technical team fell into it and we knew what we needed to do in terms of working with these youngsters and what they needed to do,” said Gabriel. “And the boys responded very well and we must be thankful to them.”
Please note that the #BetwayPrem clean sheets which were kept by Elvis Chipezeze of Magesi FC, Manuel Sapunga of Polokwane City FC, Ricardo Goss of SuperSport United and Ian Otieno of Richards Bay FC against Royal AM this season were expunged #ThamiSoccer pic.twitter.com/ylJrGdNaH5
— ThamiSoccer (@ThamiSoccer) May 18, 2025
“These boys have bright futures. We can only look forward to next season because they’ve acclimatised well to this level and can only get better in the next season.”
Having survived what could’ve been a nail-biting finish, Richards Bay can now breathe a little easier when they take on Royal AM in their final fixture next weekend. But for Gabriel, the real work starts now — building on a tough but educational season that proved the club can hold its own.
In a league where experience often trumps ambition, Richards Bay’s young squad — under Gabriel’s steady hand — have defied the odds. And for now, they’ve earned the right to dream of a calmer, more consistent campaign in 2025.
