Surrey Storm have signed one of the world’s leading goal shooters as Peace Proscovia returns to the Vitality Netball Superleague for the 2022 season.
The Uganda captain's arrival at Storm marks a real statement of intent from Mikki Austin's team.
Proscovia's time with Loughborough Lightning between 2015 and 2019 established her as one of the Vitality Netball Superleague's most cherished and loved players.
While studying and playing her netball for Loughborough Lightning, she helped them progress into two Grand Finals and take a British Fast5 All-Stars Championship victory. Individual awards also followed as Proscovia excelled.
Following her time in England, Proscovia joined Suncorp Super Netball and Sunshine Coast Lightning. There, she continued to progress as a player and be instrumental within their shooting circle.
During the 2021 Suncorp Super Netball season, Proscovia worked at a 90 per cent accuracy rate.
In total, the 31-year-old scored 670 goals in 42 games for the Super Netball franchise, including a career-best of 53 against West Coast Fever during the 2019 season.
"Peace has grown so much as a player since joining our club," Kylee Byrn, Sunshine Coast Lightning's head coach said, when Proscovia's departure was announced.
"It's been a pleasure watching her develop and really become that strong target in our attack line.
"Anyone who has met Peace knows the profound impact she has on those around her and that was certainly felt in her time at Lightning."
At international level, Proscovia has been captain of the Ugandan team since 2013 and has played on some of the biggest stages including the 2015 and 2019 Netball World Cup competitions, and the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Proscovia, who is one of seven children from one of the poorest families in a small town in northern Uganda, is open about her childhood because she wants to inspire others.
In her own words, Proscovia decided to "fight for her destiny" as a young girl. She defied her father's initial anger at following her passion for netball, applied herself academically and created opportunities for herself.
"Talent has done amazing things for people," she said when sharing her background with Sky Sports in 2018.
"It has lifted people from nowhere to somewhere and a practical example is me. I've studied through netball. I've moved to countries that I would not have gone to, even just going to the capital city of Uganda.
"Nobody's background defines who they are. My background has never defined who I am, if it was to define who I am then I would be a nobody."
"I feel blessed to be given this opportunity," Proscovia said about signing for Storm.
"I never thought that I could be offered a contract in England again but had faith that somehow one day I will get back. "I have always admired Mikki's style of leadership and exited to be coached by her. I can't wait to get back to England."
Upon her return to England, Proscovia is eager to share the learnings she's taken from Suncorp Super Netball.
"I will bring my extensive experience playing against some of the best defenders in the world under pressure. I will also bring my accuracy and dominance under the post and share my knowledge with the upcoming Surrey Storm shooters.
"I never thought that an opportunity would present itself for me to go back to where my professional life all started," she concluded.
"I believe everything happens for a reason and now that I have an opportunity to return back, there's no better feeling than this. Thanks a lot for this opportunity. I missed all my fans in England and I can't wait to reunite with them."
Proscovia is the seventh signing announced by Surrey Storm ahead of the 2022 Vitality Netball Superleague season.
The traditional home and away format will return for the forthcoming season, with selected rounds being played in full at neutral venues alongside the traditional Season Opener and Grand Final weekends.
A full fixture list will be made available later this year and before that, the Vitality Netball Superleague signing window closes on October 15.
All of the Superleague franchises are allowed to have a squad of 15 players, comprising 12 registered players and up to three training partners.