Kurt Hartmann and Rebekah Jenkins: Kooty couple making most of move to the country

For not only has Jenkins emerged as one of the Roosters' best league tag players since joining them in 2021, she lured her partner, skilled No 9 Kurt Hartmann, to the club that same year.

At Kootingal Recreation Reserve on Saturday afternoon, Jenkins was sideline watching Hartmann as the Roosters lost 22-0 to Port Stephens club the Northern Hawks.

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For Hartmann, the Hawks brought back memories of home: he played against some of the Hawks' players while growing up in Newcastle, and he taught one of the players while employed at Tomaree High in Port Stephens.

The 27-year-old left that school when he and Jenkins arrived in Tamworth in 2019 after he landed a PE teaching job at Tamworth High.

At some stage the couple plan to return to Newcastle to live.

"It's been a lot of trips throughout the years, back and forth," Hartmann said of travelling between Tamworth and the coast. "So it's just easier to be down there.

"When you want to start a family ... it's good to have some support around home."

The couple will marry at Nelson Bay in March next year.

Jenkins has eight siblings. Hartmann has three. And almost 100 guests will attend the wedding.

"Pretty crazy," Hartmann said of the number of guests.

He and Jenkins met when they worked together at a Newcastle bowls club. He was behind the bar; she was in the bistro.

"And it all come from there," said the former South Newcastle player. "And here we are seven years later - and getting married next year!"

Hartmann said the Kooty Chicks captain had "done a really nice thing" by joining him in Tamworth.

"Yeah, she apparently loved me enough to come out here and follow me with my teaching career. And she's made a good base here, with a lot of friends and [good] work opportunities.

"So we feel really at home at Tamworth. I think when we eventually get back to the coast, we'll miss it. But its [the coast] just where most of our family is."

Hartmann said he hoped "to make a difference" at Tamworth High. He's certainly done that at the Roosters after joining them from Gunnedah.

Roosters coach Geoff Sharpe has described him as a "smart, tough dummy half" and a "champion bloke".

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