It’s that time of year to continue an exciting tradition! Ginger Cove’s Croquet Team hosts annual croquet matches to bridge the generational gap and help the local U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen and St. John’s College Johnnies prepare for the Annapolis Cup. This year, the Ginger Cove Croquet Team will face off against the Johnnies on Saturday, March 22, and the Midshipmen on Saturday, March 29.
As has been tradition since 1992, the Midshipmen and the Johnnies each play a match against Ginger Cove’s team to prepare for their friendly face-off against each other during the first match of the Annapolis Cup. Although no one is quite sure how their rivalry began, it is rumored to have started in the early 1980s when the commandant of the USNA told a St. John’s freshman that the Midshipmen could beat the Johnnies in any sport. The match between the two schools, which will take place this year on April 5, is now a highly anticipated annual event that draws around 4,000 spectators each year.
The matches with Ginger Cove are an exciting event. The Ginger Cove team will enjoy camaraderie with the Johnnies and the Midshipmen. Plus, Ginger Cove’s very own cheerleaders, the Ginger Snaps, will cheer the teams on during this friendly competition.
If you want to attend the Annapolis Cup, tickets for the 2025 match are now available. Even though Ginger Cove was founded by a group of USNA graduates in 1988 and Chip Warner, the CEO, is also a USNA graduate, the Ginger Cove residents are not choosing sides. They’re just looking forward to a friendly and competitive Annapolis Cup Match.
The Ginger Cove Croquet Team wishes the Midshipmen and the Johnnies the best of luck during the Annapolis Cup!