Richard Edward "Richie" Bands (born 25 March 1974 in Mafikeng) is a former South African rugby union test player.
It was in 2002 that Bands made his Super rugby debut, in a match for the Bulls against New Zealand team, the Chiefs.
Later this season he played in four matches for the Springboks in the 2003 Rugby World Cup held in Australia.
In 2008 the Johannesburg Labour Court ended the protracted legal conflict between SA Rugby and players Victor Matfield, Richard Bands and Christo Bezuidenhout, which started in 2004, when the CCMA awarded the three players compensation for loss of earnings, when their fixed-term contracts were not renewed despite their strong performances in the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
The Labour Court ruled that Straeuli's promise that the players were part of his future plans was not enough to create a reasonable expectation.