St. John's Vs. Navy Croquet Match Returns, Bringing Decades Of Tradition To Annapolis

Croquet is just a lawn game, right? Not in Annapolis. The St. John's-Navy croquet match returns this weekend, bringing decades of tradition.

By Jacob Baumgart, Patch Staff

Apr 13, 2023 10:28 am EDT

The Annapolis Cup returns this Saturday. St. John's College will host the United States Naval Academy in the annual croquet match. The 2018 contest is pictured above. (Courtesy of St. John's College)

ANNAPOLIS, MD — To most people, croquet is just a fun lawn game. In Annapolis, an annual croquet match offers one of the most-anticipated social events of the year.

St. John's College will host the U.S. Naval Academy this Saturday in the 39th Annapolis Cup.

St. John's called it "a friendly-but-fierce rivalry for ... bragging rights as the best croquet team in town."

The colleges are expecting a crowd of 4,000. Attendees will include members of both college communities, Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley, newly inaugurated St. John's College President Nora Demleitner and Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Sean Buck.

Ticket sales were only open to those invited.

The Naval Academy hosted the event for the first time last year. That invitation-only match was the first one after a 2-year hiatus for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Midshipmen won last year's contest, giving them their eighth victory. The Johnnies have claimed the cup 30 times.

Fans wear formal attire to the Annapolis Cup. The 2017 match is shown here. (Courtesy of St. John's College)

The tradition started in 1982 when somebody said the Naval Academy could between St. John's in any sport. The Johnnie countered and challenged the Midshipmen to a croquet match.

The Mids wear crisp U.S. Croquet Association whites and a team tie.

The Johnnies change their uniforms annually, only revealing their attire minutes before the contest. Past uniforms have featured camouflage, tuxedoes, Viking clothing and kilts.

Fans dress to impress in formal attire.

Since 1992, both teams have played the Ginger Cove retirement community's croquet team a few weeks before the Annapolis Cup. The day before the contest, the Johnnies eat lunch with the Midshipmen at the Naval Academy's mess hall, where St. John's officially challenges their rivals to a match.

This year, gates open at 10:30 a.m. The opening ceremony is at noon, and the match begins at 12:45 p.m.

Entry gates close at 5 p.m. The match is expected to end around 6 p.m.

More information is posted at sjc.edu/croquet.

This match will kick off the first-ever Johnnie Week. The new annual celebration will bring on-campus and virtual events to alumni, students, families and friends.

Additional details on Johnnie Week are available at sjc.edu/johnnie-week

The croquet match is also a social event with dancing. The 2017 Annapolis Cup is pictured above. (Courtesy of St. John's College)