Youth Rugby Observations

Upon observing what I believe were the under-10's playing rugby on a saturday morning, I found the atmosphere and playing area to be very similar to that which I experienced during my childhood, playing recreational soccer or field hockey. The parents were very much a part of what made that experience seem so similar, the way they would cheer on their kids from the sidelines, the fathers enthusiastically yelling "drive boys!!" At half time one coach was heard asking "we got oranges somewhere, mum?" which was very reminiscent of the way it is customary for orange slices to be brought by parents in ziplock bags and doled out mid-game on sports fields all over the US.
One thing I found to be in stark contrast to youth sports in the US however was how rough the game of rugby is, particularly considering the children's age and size. There is rampant shirt-grabbing and flinging around, tackling, pushing each other down. One young boy was seen having to come off the field in tears after one particularly rough skirmish. Many wore mouthguards and protective headware, which is probably for the best. Apart from the one instance of tears, the young boys are surprisingly tough and aggressive for such small players, which is not at all seen with soccer in the US which is largely a non-contact sport. Youth sports in Australia seem to be way more physical, which would be a shock and frowned upon by many of spectating parents in America (which I have experience with as I used to be a referee for youth girls lacrosse and parents would be outraged at the first and most elementary sign of roughness).