Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler have posted heartwarming photos of their most recent time together on the NRL star’s European holiday as they mark the one-year anniversary of their romance going public.
The Penrith premiership winner and Manchester City young gun spent a few weeks together after this year’s NRL grand final as he jetted over to be with her in England – and followed her to Switzerland to see her play for the Matildas.
Their relationship appeared to step up a notch when Cleary was photographed holding Matildas star Katrina Gorry’s daughter Harper as he watched the Aussies take on Germany – the first time he’s been pictured spending time with his partner’s closest mates.
Cleary had to return home at the start of this month in order to have shoulder surgery in time to be fully healthy for the start of the NRL season on March 1 next year – but he and Fowler have both posted heartwarming photos of their getaway as they keep their long-distance relationship going.
The NRL star included a photo of him with Fowler in an Instagram post he called ‘Down time’, which also featured pics of him celebrating this year’s grand final victory with his teammates, driving a Mercedes in Europe, taking in some of the stunning sights on the continent – and lastly, a shot of Fowler posing with a portrait he painted of her.
That last photo got a reaction out of Fowler, who commented, ‘Mems [memories] for a lifetime … that last slide tho.’
Shortly after Cleary’s post went up, it was his girlfriend’s turn.
Fowler posted a shot of the couple embracing while they caught up in England, along with a short video of her walking up a hill, which appears to have been taken by Cleary, who responded to the post with a smiley face.
Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary are half a world away from each other a year after their romance went public, but they’ve both posted reminders of the time they spent together when he visited her in England after the NRL grand final (pictured)
The couple posted new photos (pictured) of them spending several weeks together in the UK and in continental Europe before the NRL star had to jet home for surgery
Cleary got a playful reaction from his girlfriend when he posted this reminder of the portrait he painted of her recently
Their posts came just over a year since their relationship became public thanks to a Daily Mail Australia exclusive that showed them in a very romantic display in a Perth park.
That story helped make them the hottest couple in Aussie sport, with the pair later spotted in Sydney on several occasions, as well as on the Gold Coast when she reunited with him after they spent last Christmas apart.
Shortly before the NRL grand final, Cleary gave his fans an eye-opening account of the start of their relationship.
‘Whenever I was with her it just felt like we were two normal people … and then all of a sudden people were taking photos of us, and then they were being published, and then there were articles, then there was people waiting out the front of my house,’ Cleary said.
‘One day I was driving and I realised this car was following me.
‘Then I took a few turns, took a few turns, they took the exact same turns. I was pretty much in a car chase.
‘That was, like, mind-blowing to me. I understand it, I guess, because people care [about the romance].
‘It all happened so quick, and now her relationship was in the public eye, it was hard to wrap your head around.’
The Penrith premiership winner was pictured with Matildas star Katrina Gorry’s daughter Harper (above) when the Matildas beat Germany last month – the first time he’s been photographed with Fowler’s teammates
Cleary also opened up about rumours that he staged the photos of him and Fowler cuddling in Perth, with the fact he was shirtless at the time fuelling speculation that he tipped off the photographer.
‘I swear to god I had no idea,’ he said.
‘Leading up to that, we were probably pretty blasé about how much people actually cared.
‘After the park we went back to the car and then we saw someone with the big camera there, and pretty much a couple of hours later it all came out.’
Last month, Nathan’s father and coach, Ivan, revealed his son had made a big sacrifice to be able to see Fowler in the UK.
The Panthers boss said Nathan had delayed his badly needed shoulder operation so he could make the most of his chance to get away.
Ivan added, ‘I’ve met Mary … she’s a lovely girl and very mature for her age.
‘They are very happy together, so that’s the main thing.’
