Tongues are wagging once again with a fresh picture emerging of NRL superstar Nathan Cleary and Matildas hero Mary Fowler.
The pair became the hot topic of a relationship rumour when it was recently reported that they were seen having ice-cream together.
The word from the Cleary camp that followed was that sometimes an ice-cream is just an ice-cream.
But now a new picture has emerged of the pair enjoying a gentle walk alongside the river.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that the photo was taken on the banks of the Nepean River on August 8.
The pair are walking along the Great River Walk at Tench Reserve and can be seen smiling and enjoying each other’s company.
That date makes it a Tuesday and follows the Matildas’ win over Denmark during the knockout rounds of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The timing of the encounter is around two weeks before the pair were reportedly spotted at the adidas event where the ice-cream story first started.
The team on Hello Sport Podcast were quick to pour fuel on the prospect that a new Aussie “power couple” had emerged, suggesting that an ice-cream meant a whole lot more.
“Now they’re both sponsored by adidas and they were maybe doing a function. But you have an ice-cream with someone, that’s saying something. You may as well be holding hands,” podcast host Tom Birmingham said.
“We haven’t got a power couple do we at the moment?” Birmingham asked.
Fowler is only 20 but, after her heroics for the Matildas in the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup, she has quickly become one of Australia’s more recognisable sporting figures.
Her graceful moves on the pitch and signature black gloves made her an instant fan favourite during the tournament.
At 25, Cleary is already considered NRL royalty.
The pair follow each other on Instagram but – up until this new picture – there had been no photos of them together.
Cleary is captain of Penrith, a dual premiership player, a New South Wales representative, and an Australian representative.
At Penrith, he is coached by his father, Ivan Cleary, who is also a former rugby league star.
It’s easy to see why there is genuine excitement about a secret romance, and the Hello Sport Podcast team peered into the future, envisioning cooking shows such as ‘At Home With The Clearys’ and a special segment on Seven’s Better Homes and Gardens.
The NRL superstar stepped in to pour cold water on the “secret dating” rumours, but now they have flared again.
Cleary was in a relationship with Teah Foot but that reportedly ended around 12 months ago.
It is not thought he has been in a relationship since, until now.
Fowler’s gloves became a thing of fascination during the World Cup.
She was originally cagey on why she wore them, but later revealed the reason in an interview with former Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
“I haven’t told anyone yet what (the reason is) — it’s a bit silly,” she told Schwarzer.
“But I honestly just wear gloves because I get really fidgety.
“Usually I train with a ring on, but if it’s cold, I wear gloves, and I can’t wear a ring in a match, so I usually wear gloves.”
Fowler was born in North Queensland, but her father is from Ireland, while her mother hails from a village in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
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