I've heard it said that Rugby is a thug's game played by gemtlemen, and soccer is a gentlemen's game played by thugs...
They say that because rugby's a rough game that started at private schools, but it works the other way around as well.
Rugby's the posher sport that allows (or demands) more thuggishness and barbarism on the field.
Soccer's the popular game of the masses, that (at least in theory) requires a little more restraint on the field (if not in the stands).