They absolutely weren't all saying that. Why do people think that rugby and football fans are so different?
Go to Cov rugby, and what you'll find are people who have followed the club for years, generations even. They have the same (often unfounded) likes and dislikes of certain players and coaches, the same local rivalries built over decades, and share the same memories and stories of notable successes and failures. Some have their ashes scattered on the pitch.
Why on earth would anyone think they wouldn't be gutted in the same way as we were, if their team is taken away from them? They love their clubs like our fans love ours; some more, some less, but no different.