Their advice to aspiring young athletes is simple: “Just put in 100% effort, do your best at everything, and it’s bound to pay off”.
Oliver was selected as a centre back in the New Zealand team after progressing through a series of trials that reduced a 35-player squad to 14.
“You can’t really put it into words, it really is an honour,” he said.
His selection follows years of commitment, including training camps, weekend trips away for national squad sessions and a demanding schedule of swimming, gym work, water polo training and matches.
“It’s a massive relief and super exciting,” Oliver said about the selection.
As the youngest of four children, he grew up watching his older siblings compete, an experience that helped inspire his own journey in the sport.
“I naturally gravitated towards it and slowly started moving up the ranks.”
Last year, Oliver represented New Zealand at the Australian State Under-15 Championships in Canberra, where the team won bronze.
He said “a lot” of hours were put in behind the scenes to earn a national selection.
“So much more time than most people realise.”
He said putting on the New Zealand uniform in Croatia would be “surreal”.
Oliver Jones represented New Zealand at the Australian State Under-15 Championships in Canberra last year.
“To know all that hard work was really worth it means so much.”
Teammate Chase Davies said the selection was “unreal”.
“It’s the biggest honour, representing the fern is a dream for every New Zealand kid out there and to think I’ll actually be doing it on the world stage, I can’t believe it.”
He said the opportunity was “incredibly special”.
“I’ve grown up trying to represent something big, and this is the biggest achievement I could get. I’m excited to test myself against the best players in the world.”
The selection follows an impressive season for Chase.
He was named most valuable goalkeeper at the Secondary Schools Nationals and North Island championships, where his school won gold at each tournament.
Chase said representing New Zealand in Croatia would be a “fulfilling” moment, made even more special by sharing the experience with his teammates.
“If you put in 100% effort and do your best at everything, then it’s bound to pay off.”
Chase Davies was named most valuable goalkeeper at the Secondary Schools Nationals and North Island championships.
Alongside his sporting success, Chase has also built a career in acting.
His feature film I, Object, directed by Andrew Niccol, debuts in cinemas on July 23, the same day he departs for the World Championships.
In the film, Chase plays Zach, a supporting character who is a school bully.
“It’s almost like the pinnacle of two major things I’ve been working towards throughout my life are happening at the same time; it’s pretty crazy.”
The role follows his work as one of the main characters in the short film Socks, which premiered this year at the Venice Film Festival.
“I guess I am pretty busy with it all, but I make sure I still have time to hang out with friends and family, and to also just enjoy my teenage years is really important as well.”
Chase and Oliver fly out on July 23 for an initial training camp in Herceg Novi, Montenegro.
They will then compete in Zagreb, Croatia, from August 3 to 9, at the World Aquatics Men’s U16 Water Polo Championships.
Kaitlyn Morrell is a journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.