Hello! We are the UK Cube Association and we are a completely volunteer-run organisation that hosts all cubing competitions in the UK. We are made up of a team of WCA delegates and staff, and we're passionate about giving people as many opportunities to compete in the UK as we can. We have organised over 100 competitions up and down the country with many more on the horizon and are always trying to find new locations to make cubing competitions as accessible as possible.

Make sure to follow our social media pages to keep up to date with the latest content and media!

UKCA is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 who attend our activities. Please read our Safeguarding Policy for more information about this. If you have any concerns, please contact us at SafeguardingUKCA@gmail.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

First time at our competitions?

Q: How do I register?
A: Make sure you have created a WCA account by going to the sign-up page and creating an account. Once you have created the account and confirmed your email address, follow the menu bar to the Register page and carefully follow the instructions. Make sure to input your T-shirt size for your competition T-shirt as your registration comment. See the T-Shirt Sizes tab for a sizing guide.

Q: I am a first time competitor. Can I come here to compete?
A: Absolutely! This competition welcomes competitors of all experience levels and we will have a tutorial at the start of both days to walk you through the competition procedure.

Q: Can I come only to spectate?
A: Yes! There is no need to book or check-in - just come along and see what it's all about.

Q: Are there different age categories?
A: No, all competitors compete on the same level and all ages are welcome.

Q: Am I allowed to bring a guest?
A: Yes, you can bring as many guests as you want.

Q: How fast do I have to be to compete?
A: Check out the Events tab - if you can make the time limit for the events you want to compete in, then you're fast enough!

Q: Do I have to be there on both days?
A: No, if you only have events on one of the days, you don't have to turn up for the other day. You can see what days your events are on on the Schedule tab.

Q: When can I leave the competition?
A: You are welcome to leave whenever you are not competing. If you have no more events left then you are not required to stay.

Q: Do I use my own cubes to compete?
A: Yes!

Q: How do I find live results?
A: You can see live results as soon as they're entered at WCA Live.

Q: What happens to my results after the competition?
A: Within a couple of days, they will all be posted to this page and if this is your first competition you will automatically have your very own WCA ID assigned.

Q: Do you have a mailing list?
A: Why yes, we do have a mailing list! Sign up here for announcements of future competitions and more.

Need to unregister?

Q: What do I do if I can no longer attend?
A: Let us know via the contact link on the General Info page.

Q: If I do not attend do I get a refund?
A: If you inform us you are no longer attending before the limit date for refunds on the General Info page then you will receive a 75% refund. If this time has passed then you will receive no refund.

Something else you'd like to know?

We have a detailed Parents' Guide that covers the answers to many more questions, free from cubing jargon! Whilst primarily aimed at the parents of younger competitors, there is useful information for everyone to find within it.
Check it out here!

New Competitors

To register, make sure you have created a WCA account by going to the sign-up page and creating an account. Once you have created the account and confirmed your email address, follow the menu bar to the Register page and carefully follow the instructions.

If you are a new competitor, please make sure to:

• Familiarise yourself with the WCA Regulations by watching this tutorial for new competitors video. We will also be holding a live tutorial on both mornings of the competition.

• Bring some form of ID with you such as your passport, driver's licence, or birth certificate. Expired ID or photos of ID are both accepted.

Information for All Competitors

• Schedule Changes: Please note that the schedule is subject to change up until the Wednesday before the competition. Any major changes should be communicated in the precompetition email.

• Please help judge! As a competitor, your judging assignments are the absolute minimum you should be doing to help out. Since second rounds, third rounds and finals have no assigned judges, we really need people to help out whenever available for these. If you're a parent you can also get involved with running and juging, it's really easy! We will have a judging tutorial in the mornings as well, which will run through the process and will be tailored towards parents who want to get involved.

• No flash photography anywhere in the venue.

• If you are a spectator, please never stand further forward than the front row of spectator chairs.

• We will be taking videos and photographs of the competition and the environment for our social media pages and website. By attending the competition as a competitor or a guest, you are accepting that you may be filmed or photographed for these purposes.

Disclaimer

• There may be a photographer present at our events and by attending you give us permission to use any photos or videos you appear in on our website, our social media, or for other marketing purposes.
• The UKCA does not accept responsibility and expressly excludes liability to the fullest extent permitted by law for any loss or damage to any personal property; or for personal injury or illness suffered by you at a UKCA event.
• The UKCA is not responsible for any accommodation, travel or associated costs you might incur in the unlikely event that a competition has to be cancelled, rescheduled or relocated.
• Children under 18 years old should be accompanied by an adult.

We are excited to be partnering with KewbzUK to bring this year's UK Open! They will have a stall set up selling a variety of different puzzles and cubing accessories.

Based in the UK, KewbzUK have grown to become the largest and most trusted speed cube shop in the UK & Europe. Not only do they stock some of the best twisty puzzles in the world, they are also lucky to be exclusive resellers of CubicleLabs premium lubricants.

What is the Regions Cup?

For the first time ever, 16 teams of different groups of people from the 12 regions of the UK will go head-to-head and battle it out to have their region crowned as the fastest region in the UK! Whether you are interested in competing or just spectating, you will not want to miss out on this exciting event!

Teams

Teams consisting of three competitors from the same UK region will be selected to compete for the title of UK Regions Cup Champions.

The 12 recognised regions of the UK are as following:
- North East
- North West
- Yorkshire and the Humber
- West Midlands
- East Midlands
- London
- East of England
- South East
- South West
- Scotland
- Wales
- Northern Ireland

Any competitor resident in the UK will be eligible to compete, regardless of nationality. You must live or have been born in the region you choose to represent.

How to Apply

To register, please first form a team of 3 people from the same region (you will not be able to register without a pre-formed team) and have one person from each team fill in this form.

All competitors must be registered to compete at the competition. Registration will open June 16th at 7:00pm and closes August 18th at 7:00pm.

Team Selection

There are 16 spaces available. Each team that applies will be ranked by the sum of the 3 members' 3x3 PR averages. The fastest team from each region will automatically be entered into the cup. Once the fastest team from each region has been entered, the remaining spaces will be filled by the second fastest teams from each region.

Teams will have until August 18th to qualify.

Regions Cup Regulations

• The competition format is a simple 16 team seeded knockout tournament.
• Each competitor will solve a single 3x3x3 cube, one after another. The winning team is determined by the fastest total time.
• Standard WCA penalties (e.g. misalignment, timer stops/starts) apply for the solves.
• The members solve one 3x3x3 cube one after the other. Thus, there are 3 timers, 3 cubes and 3 competitors on the table.
• The second and third timers must be started only when the previous member has finished their solve and has put back the 2 hands on the timers.
• Inspection time applies to all 3 members at the same time.
• After 12 seconds of inspection, all 3 members of the same team must release their own cube on the mat, hold their two hands on the timers.
• The effective start of the 2 teams giving battle is given by the judge or official speaker.
• When the first solver is cubing, the second and third ones must hold their 2 hands on their timers. Same rule for the third solver while the second is solving their cube. Penalty: DNF.
• The second and third team members may continue inspecting while their teammate(s) are solving the cube, but must do so with their hands remaining on the timer.
• The winning team will be the team with the fastest total time.
• In case of the same total times, the best individual solve is used to declare the winning team.
• This is an unofficial team event; no results will be stored in the WCA database.
• The judges for this event may exercise discretion in the case of disagreements and rule interpretation - their decision will be final.

You will be able to view the results of the Regions Cup at the following link, from approximately 17:05 UK time. The results will be entered live:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oGvrsGfa1Q0fmc9jy8hKb5jQmwwqHwAwmHthDwzSL-E/edit?usp=sharing

Please make sure you include your preferred size in your registration comment. Competitors who have not done so by Sunday August 4th at 7:00pm will not be guaranteed a T-shirt in their preferred size.

Kewbz UK Open 2024 T-shirts will be available in children's sizes age 7-8 to age 12-13 and adult's sizes S to 5XL. All T-shirts will be provided for free to all competitors.

Children's sizing guide:

Adult's sizing guide:

If you do not wish to have a T-shirt, please leave a note of this in your registration comment.

The UK Cubing League will host unofficial events during the competition. No prior registration or qualification is required. Competitors are expected to bring a volunteer judge.

Live Results will be available here.

Please note that Team-Blind will only be available on Saturday morning.

In addition to standard WCA Regulations, the following rules apply to unofficial events:

3x3x3 Team-Blind: The event is contested by teams of two. A blindfolded competitor starts the timer and solves the puzzle with the guidance of their non-blindfolded teammate. Blindfold must be worn before the start of pre-inspection. The non-blindfolded competitor may touch the puzzle during the pre-inspection, but not during the solve. The non-blindfolded competitor may not touch their teammate below elbow level. Both competitors may talk during the attempt. The competitors may switch their roles between attempts.

3x3x3 One Side: The puzzle is considered solved if any one of the puzzle’s six sides is solved.

2x2x2 One-Handed: Identical to 3x3x3 One-Handed Regulations.

2x2x2 - 4x4x4 Relay: The competitor may solve the puzzles in any order. Standard WCA penalties apply for each individual puzzle and accumulate at the end of the attempt.

3x3x3 Rescramble: The competitor submits two 3x3x3 puzzles, one of which will be scrambled. The competitor uncovers the puzzles after starting the timer. They may touch either puzzle, but can only perform moves on the initially solved puzzle. The attempt is considered successful if the initially solved puzzle matches the state of the initially scrambled puzzles. Any variation will result in a DNF.

3x3x3 Mirror Blocks: Identical to 3x3x3 Regulations.

The UK Cubing League has kindly agreed to organise unofficial events at a stall throughout this weekend. Here's what they have to say:

Hello! We are the UK Cubing League (UKCL), an interuniversity organisation dedicated to connecting cubing societies from across the country. Throughout the academic year, the UKCL hosts weekly competitions, where cubers from different universities compete and collaborate, making it a vibrant part of the UK cubing scene. The 2024/25 UKCL University Cup is currently underway with 136 competitors representing 13 societies!!

We’re excited to be hosting a stall at this competition, where you can participate in some fun unofficial events, meet our Executive Committee, and learn more about how you can get involved. If you’re interested in starting a cubing society at your university, we’ve prepared a comprehensive guide to help you through the process.

Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Discord to connect with existing societies and stay updated on the latest UKCL news and events. You can also explore the latest UKCL results and current records.

We look forward to seeing you at Kewbz UK Open - come and say hi at our stall!

Venue

The venue is SportsDock at the University of East London in Newham London.

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Travel

Car: The venue postcode is E16 2RD. Parking is available for free on the main UEL Campus, just a short walk across to SportsDock.
Train: The venue is just a 3 minute walk from Gallions Reach on the DLR, which is well connected with the London transit system. Alternatively, it is a 10 minute walk from Cyprus on the DLR.
Plane: The venue is situated next to London City Airport, with the 474 bus route offering a short service between the airport and the venue. Other major London airports including Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Heathrow are between 1 and 1.5 hours away by public transport.
Coach: London Victoria Coach Station which connects most of the UK to London is approximately 1 hour away by public transport.
Bus: The SL2, 474, 262, and 366 buses all stop nearby.

Accessibility

The venue is fully accessible, with Blue Badge parking, step free access, automatic double doors, and accessible toilets.

For further accessibility details, including full venue photos, please view the venue's accessibility guide.

Please contact us if you need an accommodation in order to compete, for example if you’re unable to compete for part of the competition due to a religious observance, or if you have a physical or medical condition that impacts your ability to compete on-stage. The deadline to request accommodations is August 27th, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

The following accommodation options are available in the local area:

• Premier Inn London Beckton (0.8 miles / 5 minute drive / 11 minutes by public transport)
• Holiday Inn Express London Excel (1.3 miles / 6 minute drive / 16 minutes by public transport)
• Travelodge London Excel (1.3 miles / 6 minute drive / 17 minutes by public transport)
• Premier Inn London Docklands (1.5 miles / 6 minute drive / 20 minutes by public transport)
• DoubleTree by Hilton London ExCeL (1.5 miles / 7 minute drive / 21 minutes by public transport)
• Travelodge London City Airport (1.8 miles / 7 minute drive / 17 minutes by public transport)
• Novotel London Excel (2.3 miles / 13 minute drive / 20 minutes by public transport)

Each event is run in groups, determined by how many people are competing in that event. We will call up the groups either one or two at a time depending on how many stages we have at the competition (which you can see on the Schedule tab). Odd groups will always be on the left stage and even groups on the right stage. Your scrambling and judging assignments are the minimum amount you should be helping out as it only is for first rounds. We always appreciate extra help!

Please note down which groups you are competing and scrambling in before arriving at the competition!

Groups

Find out your groups here.