Hey! No scrumming there!

From this week's Economist:
"Last year almost 360,000 (American) children played a non-contact form of the sport at school..."
???
non-contact
???
no scrum? no ruck? no tackling?
Where's the rugby rugburn in that?
Oh, sure, a bit of lateral passing, some running up and down the field, a kick between the uprights now and then. That stuff has potential, I admit.
But ya gotta scrum! (touch-paauuse-engage!) ya gotta tackle! Throw the adversary to the ground. Get the ball! get it!
.