The team was organised by the
Women's Rugby Football Union (WRFU), which governed women's rugby in the
United Kingdom from 1983 to 1994. It emerged during a formative period for the women's game, when the sport remained largely amateur and was primarily centred on universities and a small number of clubs. The Great Britain side was established as a representative team drawing players from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, reflecting the absence of fully developed national teams at that time. Great Britain played its
first international match against
France on 19 April 1986 at the
Richmond Athletic Ground in
London, the first women's international rugby union match to be staged in Britain. France won 14–8, scoring three tries to Great Britain's two, both scored by
Karen Almond. The team continued to compete internationally between 1986 and 1990, before being gradually replaced by separate national sides representing
England,
Scotland and
Wales. England and Wales played their first internationals in 1987, with Scotland and Ireland following in 1993. ==Results summary==