Maddie Feaunati has returned to the England women's rugby team as they prepare for a key match against New Zealand in the WXV Global Series. The game is set for Saturday, 26 September, at 15:00 BST at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, where more than 50,000 fans are expected to watch. Feaunati will play at number eight, a position on the back row that involves both ball-carrying and defensive responsibilities. Other changes include Alex Matthews moving to the blind-side flanker position and Abi Burton being placed on the bench. These three players had all started in England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup final win over Canada, which took place a year ago. However, England’s impressive 39-match winning streak was recently interrupted by a 26-26 draw with Canada. In the front row, props Mackenzie Carson and Sarah Bern are starting, while Hannah Botterman and Maud Muir are on the bench ready to provide support. Bryony Field, who has previously only played for England at the age-grade level five years ago, is starting at hooker over May Campbell. Several players are missing due to injury or personal reasons, including Amy Cokayne, Connie Powell, and Lark Atkin Davies, who recently gave birth. The backline remains unchanged, with Helena Rowland playing as inside centre and Jess Breach, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, and Ellie Kildunne forming the back three. Specialist backs Natasha Hunt, Tatyana Heard, and Emma Sing are on the bench. The match between England and New Zealand is part of the WXV Global Series, a competition designed to bring together top teams from around the world. The game will be broadcast on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, with live text commentary available. England’s head coach, John Mitchell, emphasized the importance of the match, saying, “We're moving forward in the right direction while building depth in our cover. New Zealand are playing good rugby at the moment and it's no surprise to see them raise their standards. Test matches against the best teams in the world are what we relish and look forward to, especially at Allianz Stadium.” New Zealand is the last team to defeat England, having beaten them in the final of the previous Women’s Rugby World Cup in November 2022. Since then, England has won three encounters against the Black Ferns, most recently a 49-31 victory in October 2024. However, New Zealand has been on a strong run this year, winning all seven Tests under new coach Whitney Hansen, who is the daughter of former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen. Hansen said, “Our players are built differently, we're made for these moments. We've continued to grow each week and we're excited to put our rugby identity to the test against England, who are currently number one in the world.” Among New Zealand’s selected players is Ayesha Leti-I'iga, who scored two tries in her team’s World Cup final win over England. Also included is Braxton Sorensen-McGee, a teenage full-back who was one of the standout players in the 2025 tournament. England’s starting lineup includes Kildunne, Breach, Jones (captain), Rowland, Moloney-MacDonald, Harrison, L Packer, Carson, Field, Bern, Talling, Ives Campion, Matthews, Kabeya, and Feaunati. The replacements are Campbell, Botterman, Muir, Burton, Packer, Hunt, Heard, and Sing. New Zealand’s starting lineup features Sorensen-McGee, Paul, Brunt, Du Plessis, Leti-I'iga, H King, Joseph, Viliko, Ponsonby, Mahutariki-Fakalelu, Roos, Bayfield, Mikaele-Tu'u, E-P King, and Olsen-Baker. Their replacements include Lolohea, Robinson, Taumata, Vaipulu, Sae, Turner, McGregor, and Saili.