ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Rugby league in New Zealand

Rugby league in New Zealand is like playing a really fun game with a group of your friends outside. But instead of just throwing a ball back and forth, you play with a special ball that's shaped like a lemon and you try to get it to the end of the field and touch it down on the ground for a score.

There are two teams, one in blue and one in white, and they have 13 players on each team. They play on a big grass field with lines painted on it to show where they can run and where they can't. The players wear special clothes with padding to keep them safe because they can get knocked down pretty hard sometimes.

The game starts with a kick-off from the middle of the field and the team with the ball tries to run and pass it down the field to score points. If they get tackled and the ball touches the ground, the other team gets a turn to try and score.

There are lots of different ways to score points, like running the ball over the other team's goal line, kicking the ball between two big sticks at the end of the field, or catching a pass in the end zone. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins!

Rugby league is a really popular sport in New Zealand and lots of people love to play and watch it. It's a great way to stay active, work together as a team, and have fun with your friends.