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- Matildas star has become a fashion icon since the last time they met
Penrith superstar Nathan Cleary might be a household name in Australia, but he can easily roam the streets of London without being recognised. The same cannot be said for his girlfriend Mary Fowler.
Cleary will be reunited with Fowler in the coming weeks after months apart, with the star halfback travelling to the UK as part of the touring Kangaroos side to take on the Ashes against England.
The Matilda star made history as the first professional football player and first Australian ambassador to walk the catwalk for L'Oreal Paris at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year.
After months apart - and speculation their romance was on the rocks - Cleary and Fowler will see each other again in the UK later this month.
Cleary said Fowler, who is on the recovery trail from an ACL tear, was still battling to get to know the rules
'I will be seeing her in Liverpool at our next game. It's been a few months now so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing her,' Cleary told News Corp.
'She has to work it around her rehab but she is trying to come to the last two games. She is starting to understand (rugby league) a little bit but she's not (across) the rules.
'She sometimes asks me why I don't kick a 40-20 every set. I kind of like that as well. She understands sport in general but she isn't telling me how to play. It's nice.
'When we first met, the only rugby league player she knew was Johnathan Thurston. I asked her if she knew of Sonny Bill Williams but she didn't know him. She was pretty naive to it all.'
But things will not be quite the same when the couple re-unite this time around.
They have successfully navigated a long distance relationship to date, but since the couple last met, Fowler has become a household name in Europe.
It is something that Cleary said would take some getting used to, but the couple had a plan....
'(Our relationship) was interesting at the start because it was new territory for both of us. We are quite private people,' he said.
'I felt sorry for her a lot of the time. Her shoot to stardom happened so quickly after the World Cup (in 2023) and that's when her private life came into it.
'Sometimes it's a little bit weird with the paparazzi stuff, it can be hard to wrap your head around, but we have an agreement that we wouldn't let it affect us or our relationship and that we would still live our lives.
'Some things are out of our control so we just don't waste energy on that. We try to control the things we can control and our actions and interactions with people.'
Cleary admitted he was not nearly as famous in the UK as he is back in Australia.
'It's nice over here because no-one over here knows who we are when we're walking around. I haven't been stopped once.'
But the Panthers star said he used his profile for good back at home, to help influence and inspire his fans.
'I have to be generous with my time from time-to-time and make sure that every interaction with me is a positive one. It can make someone's day,' he said.
'I don't want people walking away thinking that I am arrogant or not a good person because that means a lot to me but it can be annoying when people are rude.
'Sometimes, to be honest, it is nice to travel overseas in the off-season where you don't get recognised too much.'
Cleary and Fowler were first linked in late 2023 after being photographed together in Penrith.
Their relationship was confirmed publicly when they were seen holding hands at Sydney Olympic Park in October 2023.
Cleary supported Fowler at Matildas matches, while she attended his NRL games for the Penrith Panthers.
In December 2023, they shared their first official photo together on social media.
In 2024, Fowler travelled to Las Vegas with Cleary for the NRL’s American season opener.
They were regularly photographed together at public events, including awards nights and team celebrations.
By mid-2024, Fowler spent time with Cleary’s family in Penrith, while he visited her in Manchester during her club season.