The Black Ferns have selected three Olympic gold-medal winning sevens stars and 12 rookies as part of the 34-strong squad to travel to the northern hemisphere.
Portia Woodman, Kelly Brazier and Stacey Fluhler have all been included in coach Glen Moore's squad, after contributing to New Zealand's success in the shorter form at Tokyo.
Twelve players are in line for their first taste of the black jersey, with hookers Grace Houpapa-Barrett and Georgia Ponsonby, props Tanya Kalounivale, Krystal Murray and Amy Rule, lock Maiakawanakaulani Roos, and loose forwards Alana Bremner, Dhys Faleafaga and Liana Mikaele-Tu'u new selections among the forwards.
In the backs, halfbacks Ariana Bayler and Iritana Hohaia and first-five Patricia Maliepo will also link up with the Black Ferns for the first time. Four more players will get their first chance to play for the Black Ferns at international level, after appearing in domestic fixtures last year.
Coach Moore stresses the importance of building strength in depth, with the 2022 Women's Rugby World Cup scheduled for New Zealand.
"With a World Cup just around the corner, this programme is critical for us," he says.
"We're playing against two of the best teams in the world and they've come off Six Nations, so we need to make sure we're doing everything we can under these conditions to be prepared."
Moore has chosen a larger group of 34, with potential COVID-19 restrictions limiting his ability to call in new players if they're needed.
"We've had to take a COVID mindset to ensure enough coverage across all positions, because calling on a replacement is not as easy as it usually would be."
New Zealand's move to Alert Level 4 also wiped away rounds of the Farah Palmer Cup and played a factor in the make-up of the squad.
"The lockdown probably did mean some players weren't able to cement their positions in the squad, and it meant we had to reflect more on the early rounds of Farah Palmer Cup and some of the situational games we'd played in camps this year." Moore adds.
"This would be one of the most difficult selection processes I can recall in my time in rugby."
Veteran loose forward Les Elder will captain the side, backed up by lock Eloise Blackwell and halfback Kendra Cocksedge as vice-captains.
The tour looms as a historic one for Cocksedge, who could overtake two-time World Cup winning captain Fiao'o Faamausili as New Zealand's most capped player.
The Black Ferns play two tests against England over the weekends of October 30/31 and November 6/7, followed by two tests against France on November 13, 20.
Black Ferns
Forwards: Grace Houpapa-Barrett, Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate, Georgia Ponsonby, Tanya Kalounivale, Aldora Itunu, Phillipa Love, Krystal Murray, Aleisha Nelson, Amy Rule, Eloise Blackwell (vice-captain), Joanah Ngan-Woo, Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Kelsie Wills, Alana Bremner, Les Elder (captain), Dhys Faleafaga, Liana Mikaele-Tu'u, Kendra Reynolds, Kennedy Simon
Backs: Ariana Bayler, Kendra Cocksedge (vice-captain), Iritana Hohaia, Ruahei Demant, Patricia Maliepo, Chelsea Alley, Grace Brooker, Stacey Fluhler, Carla Hohepa, Kelly Brazier, Renee Holmes, Ayesha Leti-I'iga, Renee Wickliffe, Portia Woodman, Cheyelle Robins-Reti.
