Nathan Cleary Girlfriend: Who Is Mary Fowler and How Did Their Romance Begin?
Nathan Cleary’s girlfriend is Australian soccer star Mary Fowler, one of the most recognizable players in the Matildas and a key forward for Manchester City. Their relationship has brought together two of Australia’s biggest sporting names, but despite constant public interest, the pair have tried to keep much of their life together fairly private.
Cleary and Fowler first crossed paths at an Adidas event before getting to know each other during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia. Romance speculation began later that year after they were spotted spending time together, and their relationship gradually became public.
By 2026, the couple were still together while managing one of the biggest challenges in their relationship, living on opposite sides of the world. Cleary plays for the Penrith Panthers in Australia, while Fowler is based in England with Manchester City.
Who Is Nathan Cleary’s Girlfriend?
Nathan Cleary’s girlfriend is Mary Fowler, an Australian professional soccer player who represents Manchester City and the Matildas.
Fowler has been regarded as one of Australia’s brightest football talents since making her senior international debut while still a teenager.
She joined Manchester City in 2022 after previously playing in France with Montpellier and has since developed into an important attacking player for the English club.
Fowler can operate across several attacking positions and is known for her technical ability, composure and creativity.
Away from football, she has also developed interests in fashion, writing and photography, giving her a public profile that extends well beyond the pitch.
Her relationship with Cleary has only increased attention around the couple, although both were already successful athletes before they started dating.
How Did Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler Meet?
Nathan and Mary first met through an Adidas event.
Cleary later admitted that he knew Fowler would be attending and hoped they might have a chance to speak.
Both are naturally quite reserved, so there was no dramatic beginning to their romance.
Instead, conversations developed gradually.
Fowler later revealed that their first proper date came during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, on the morning of Australia’s opening match of the tournament.
The timing was unusual considering the enormous pressure surrounding the Matildas during a home World Cup.
They continued meeting privately during the competition without expecting the relationship to become a major public story.
By August 2023, however, speculation had started after Cleary and Fowler were photographed together.
An outing for ice cream became one of the earliest moments that drew widespread attention to the pair.
When Did Their Relationship Become Public?
Nathan and Mary did not immediately confirm every rumor surrounding them.
For several months, they avoided giving detailed answers about their relationship.
That slowly changed as they became more comfortable sharing parts of their lives.
By early 2024, their romance was essentially public, with social media posts and photographs making the relationship clear.
Since then, both have spoken more openly about each other.
Fowler has described Cleary as someone she can learn from, particularly when discussing the mental side of elite sport.
Cleary has similarly spoken warmly about Fowler and the support they give one another.
Their relationship has become highly visible, but neither appears interested in turning it into a constant public performance.
Their Long-Distance Relationship Is the Biggest Challenge
The biggest practical difficulty for Cleary and Fowler is geography.
Cleary’s NRL career keeps him based in Australia for most of the year.
Fowler’s Manchester City career requires her to live and train in England.
That creates a distance of thousands of miles and two demanding professional schedules that rarely line up perfectly.
They can go months without seeing each other in person.
Fowler has explained that long-distance communication actually became part of their relationship from the beginning, rather than something they had to suddenly adjust to after years of living together.
Their early conversations often involved long messages about life, psychology and personal goals rather than simply discussing sport.
That foundation appears to have helped them deal with the periods apart.
Nathan Spent Extended Time With Mary in England
One particularly important period for the couple came after Cleary travelled to Britain with Australia’s rugby league team.
Rather than immediately returning home, he stayed in Manchester while Fowler continued her rehabilitation from an ACL injury.
It gave them something they rarely experience, an extended stretch of relatively normal time together.
Cleary later spoke about how peaceful the experience felt.
In Australia, particularly around Penrith, he is one of the most recognizable players in rugby league.
Manchester offered a different environment where the couple could spend time together without the same level of attention.
Their time together also included travel outside England before Cleary returned to prepare for another NRL season.
Mary Supported Nathan During State of Origin
Their support for each other became particularly visible during the 2026 State of Origin series.
Fowler travelled to Australia and attended games involving Cleary and the New South Wales Blues.
After NSW suffered a difficult loss in Game Two in Melbourne, Fowler was seen comforting Cleary after the match.
The series eventually produced a much happier moment for them.
New South Wales won the deciding Game Three in Brisbane, and Fowler joined Cleary following the victory as the Blues celebrated taking the series.
For a couple who spend large parts of the year separated, opportunities to attend each other’s biggest matches are relatively rare.
Fowler has said those occasions feel particularly special because she cannot regularly watch Cleary play in person.
Nathan Has Also Supported Mary’s Football Career
Support works in both directions.
Cleary has travelled to England and watched Fowler during her football career, while also following her matches from Australia when travel is impossible.
Fowler experienced a significant setback in 2025 when she suffered an ACL injury.
The injury ended what had been one of her strongest seasons at Manchester City and began a long rehabilitation process.
She eventually returned to competition in February 2026.
By the start of the 2026-27 season, Fowler was again making an impact for Manchester City after extending her contract with the club through 2027.
The recovery offered another example of something she and Cleary understand about each other.
Both have experienced serious sporting injuries and the frustration of rehabilitation, so conversations about elite sport often focus more on confidence, pressure and mentality than tactics.
Mary Fowler Has Expanded Beyond Football
Fowler’s career has increasingly extended into areas outside soccer.
Fashion has become one of her strongest interests.
She made headlines by appearing on the runway at Paris Fashion Week, becoming one of the rare professional footballers to cross directly into high-level fashion while still competing.
Fowler has also moved into publishing.
Her book, Bloom: Creating a Life I Love, explores personal development, creativity and the ideas that have helped her understand life away from football.
The project grew partly from Fowler’s longtime habit of journaling.
Her ACL rehabilitation provided additional time to develop those creative interests.
Rather than allowing football to completely define her identity, she has spoken about the importance of maintaining interests outside sport.
That outlook appears to be another area where she connects with Cleary, who has increasingly spoken about personal growth and life beyond rugby league.
Nathan Cleary Remains One of the NRL’s Biggest Stars
Cleary’s side of the relationship comes with its own intense sporting pressure.
Born in Sydney in November 1997, he made his NRL debut for Penrith in 2016 and developed into one of rugby league’s elite halfbacks.
Playing under his father, Panthers coach Ivan Cleary, Nathan became central to Penrith’s extraordinary period of success.
He helped the Panthers win four consecutive NRL premierships from 2021 through 2024.
His individual career has included Clive Churchill Medals, representative honors for New South Wales and Australia, and numerous major awards.
By 2026, Cleary was also Penrith’s all-time leading points scorer and a co-captain of the club.
The pressure surrounding him means Fowler understands something many partners could not fully relate to.
She is dealing with similar expectations in international soccer.
Have Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler Discussed Marriage or Children?
Nathan and Mary are not married and have not publicly announced an engagement.
Cleary has, however, spoken openly about wanting children in the future.
He has said becoming a father is one of his major long-term goals and has spoken warmly about the possibility of building a family with Fowler.
The couple does not appear to be rushing that stage.
Both are currently deeply involved in their professional careers and live on different continents for much of the year.
Cleary has acknowledged that timing matters.
His comments suggest that starting a family is something he sees in his future rather than an immediate plan.
That approach makes sense for two athletes whose schedules are currently dominated by training, international travel and competition.
Why Their Relationship Attracts So Much Attention
Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler occupy an unusual place in Australian sport.
Cleary is one of rugby league’s most decorated modern players, while Fowler became one of the faces of Australian women’s soccer during the Matildas’ rise in popularity.
Their relationship combines two different sporting worlds.
It also differs from many celebrity relationships because both partners are dealing with the same kinds of pressures.
They understand injuries, selection decisions, criticism, training schedules and the emotional swings that come with professional competition.
Neither person has to explain why a loss can remain painful hours after the stadium empties.
At the same time, they have said their relationship is not dominated by constant conversations about sport.
Much of their connection is built around ordinary discussions, shared interests and simply having someone who understands the unusual lives they lead.
Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler Are Still Together
As of September 2026, Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler remain in a relationship.
Despite the distance between Sydney and Manchester, their romance has continued since 2023.
They have supported each other through premiership campaigns, international tournaments, injuries and demanding travel schedules.
Fowler’s return from ACL surgery and Cleary’s continuing role at the heart of Penrith have made 2026 another busy year for both athletes.
For anyone searching for Nathan Cleary’s girlfriend, Mary Fowler is far more than simply the partner of a famous rugby league player.
She is an elite international footballer with her own successful career, creative interests and growing influence outside sport.
Together, Cleary and Fowler have become one of Australia’s most recognizable sporting couples while still trying to keep the most personal parts of their relationship for themselves.
