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WCA News

2026-06-01

Dear WCA Community,

The Regulations Committee have started working on a new regulations cycle to take effect on January 1st 2027, and we are now requesting proposals from the community, in line with Section 1.1 of the Amendments of Regulations Motion. In order to submit a proposal, please make a forum post under the WCA Regulations category on the WCA Forum. Please include "[January 2027 Regulations]" in the title of the forum post.

The WRC will consider all proposals that are submitted on or before July 25th, 2026, at which point we will start discussing and drafting proposals internally. We will publish our drafts for the next regulations cycle later in the year, for feedback from the Community and Volunteers. We will not be discussing any proposals submitted for previous regulation cycles, so Community members are welcome to submit proposals that have been discussed previously.

If you have any questions regarding the process, you may ask in the announcement forum post.

2026-05-29

Dear WCA Community,

The WCA Competition Announcement Team (WCAT) has updated the WCA Competition Requirements Policy to Version 5.5. You can view the full details of the updates on the Github PR. A list of all major updates are available below:

The addition of a “Quiet Championship”

Countries can now have a separate championship featuring Blindfolded events and Fewest Moves. For further information, please view this explainer document.

Qualification times can have a start date.

For competitions which require qualification times, the organisers can now set a start date of which the qualification results must have been achieved. This change is made to ensure that competitors may not qualify for a competition solely from an old result which does not represent their current skill.

Example: A qualification for 3x3x3 Blindfolded can be a single time better than 3 minutes that is set between January 1st 2020 and November 1st 2026.

For further information on smaller changes, please refer to the forums announcement

If you have any questions regarding the changes to the WCA Competition Requirements Policy, please contact your local delegates or use the WCA Contact Form.

2026-05-24

Dear WCA Community,

Following recent changes to the WCA’s Board of Directors, the Board has refreshed appointments to the WCA’s Officer roles. Officer positions are specific legal roles related to running the WCA non-profit organization.

Dan Smith has been appointed as WCA Executive Director. Dan had previously been acting as the WCA’s Chief Operating Officer. This appointment better reflects Dan’s leadership across all WCA Volunteers and aligns his role with the structures in the WCA’s governance documents. There is no change to Dan’s day-to-day duties and responsibilities.

Abdullah Gulab has been appointed as WCA Chair. Abdullah was previously WCA Treasurer and WCA Vice-Chair.

Oliver Hexter has been appointed as WCA Secretary.

Sachin Arvind has been appointed as WCA Treasurer.

Glib Vedmid and Rubén López de Juan have been appointed as WCA Vice-Chairs.

With their Board terms coming to an end soon, Nick Silvestri has vacated the position of WCA Chair and Blake Thompson has vacated the position of WCA Secretary. The Board wishes to thank Nick and Blake for their service to the WCA through their Director and Officer roles.

2026-05-01

Dear WCA Community,

With the term of Board Members Blake Thompson and Nick Silvestri coming to an end, an anonymous election took place on May 1st, 2026. The election was conducted according to the WCA Motion: Election of Directors.

The Board received the applications of:

  • Callum James Goodyear-Jørgensen
  • Glib Vedmid
  • Oliver Hexter
  • Rubén López de Juan
  • Sachin Arvind

We are happy to announce that Glib, Oliver, Rubén, and Sachin have been elected members of the WCA Board of Directors.

These changes have become effective immediately.

The applications can be viewed here.

2026-04-22

Dear WCA Community,

We are excited to introduce a new way to share volunteer positions across the WCA.

New Volunteer Position Board

All WCA Team Member positions will now be published on a centralized Volunteer Position Board via a link located on the WCA home page under “Volunteer”. Each listing will include role details and number of openings as well as application instructions and deadlines. Applicants can also easily compare open positions in one location. Click this link to view the current open positions.

This is a temporary solution for now to accommodate several Teams having expressed interest in attracting candidates. A permanent solution will be implemented as part of a new WCA website rollout later this year.

As part of this change, most individual volunteer positions will no longer be posted on the WCA Website or Forums. However, they will continue to be promoted via our Social Media channels.

Expanding the WCA Volunteer Base

This initiative is part of a larger effort to bring more volunteers into the WCA community. You don’t have to be a speedcuber to apply for a position or even know how to solve the Rubik’s Cube. You can be a family member, a friend, or just someone interested in growing our sport. Also, a number of positions require specialized skills such as: child safeguarding, bookkeeping, human resources, social media, software development, etc.

Recruitment for Team Leaders and Senior Delegates

Team Leader and Senior Delegate positions will continue to be recruited only through current volunteers via internal email channels. This ensures candidates have the experience required for these specialized roles.

We will also continue to publicly announce all new appointments.

2026-04-15

Dear WCA Community,

We are happy to announce that Kaidyn De Luca-Mazza has been appointed as the new Leader of the WCA Regulations Committee (WRC). Kaidyn was already working as a Member of the WRC.

Kaidyn was selected by the WCA Board and approved in a vote, as described in Section 5 of our Motion about WCA Committees and Teams. This appointment is effective as of March 14, 2026.

We thank Carter Kucala, who will remain as a senior member of the WRC, for the work they have done as the leader, and wish Kaidyn the best of luck in his new role.

Kaidyn was the only applicant for the role, and his successful candidacy document can be found here.

2026-04-07

Hi WCA Community,

Below you can find a summary of some of the notable cases the WCA Integrity Committee has worked on, as well as some general WIC updates from the past three months.
In the last quarter, the WCA Integrity Committee opened 12 cases and closed 16. This resulted in 5 bans and 4 warnings, while 7 cases ended with no action. Below, you can find summaries of some notable cases:

General WIC updates:

  • Since its creation, the WCA Integrity Committee has been working to create and update a variety of documents aimed at supporting the WCA Volunteers in safety matters. In light of the first incident described in this digest, the WIC Development Team will step up its efforts to develop training resources for ensuring the safety of WCA Volunteers, competitors and spectators at WCA competitions. The WIC recently received support to develop such resources, and we are extremely excited and eager to develop these with potential partners over the coming quarters. 
  • The WIC anticipates opening a new call for applicants soon to fill positions across all subteams. We should have more information to share closer to the end of the month. We highly encourage any interested community members to apply when the call for applicants opens!
  • Swami Srinivasan (2015SRIN02) was recently appointed as Senior Member of the WCA Integrity Committee. He was also appointed as Leader of the Ethics sub-team. We congratulate him and wish him the best of luck in his new roles.
  • Cade Beck (2018BECK05) was recently appointed as Senior Member of the WCA Integrity Committee. We congratulate him and wish him the best of luck in their new role.
  • Glenn Koster (2022JRGL01) and Bertie Longden (2014LONG06) recently stepped down from their positions as WIC members. Thank you so much for your work Glenn and Bertie!

Do you have questions for the WCA Integrity Committee? Feel free to send us an email. Our inboxes are always open!

2026-04-01

Dear WCA Community,

Over the past few months, we have hosted several competitions featuring the new Head-to-Head format in the 3x3, 3x3 One-Handed, 3x3 Blindfolded and 4x4 events. Based on extensive feedback received from the community in-person and via livestreams on the WCA Youtube Channel, the following changes have been made:

  • The 3x3 Fewest Moves and 3x3 Multi-Blind events have been added to the list of Head-to-Head events.
  • The restriction on competitions not running for longer than 16 hours without a break of at least 9 hours will be removed for competitions featuring the Head-to-Head format.
  • Minor changes regarding the organisation of Head-to-Head competitions.

The decision to include 3x3 Fewest Moves and 3x3 Multi-Blind was a decision to unite them with the other 3x3-based events as part of this opportunity. This decision was made following consultations with world-class cubers in these events, who agreed with the public feedback that these events being omitted was confusing, and that they would love the opportunity for their main events to be given a spotlight on the international stage.

We are confident that these changes will substantially improve the experience for both competitors and spectators of a WCA Head-to-Head competition.

For more information regarding these changes, please read our public explainer document here.

2026-03-27

Dear WCA Community,

The WCA Financial Committee (WFC) is looking for new members, and we’d love to hear from you. You don’t need to be a finance professional - but any knowledge or background in accounting would be advantageous. If you’re curious, reliable, and want to help the WCA run better behind the scenes this might be for you.

What does the WCA Financial Committee actually do?

In simple terms, we help make sure the WCA’s money is handled responsibly and used to support cubing around the world. That includes things like:

  • Tracking income and expenses and ensuring it is reconciled and categorized
  • Supporting funding programs (travel, equipment, regional organization support)
  • Helping plan and monitor the WCA’s budget
  • Creating clear financial reports for the community and for regulatory filings
  • Improving financial processes and governance as the WCA grows

You would not be expected to do all of this — committee members usually focus on a subset of tasks based on their interests, experience, and goals as a volunteer.

Who is this a good fit for?

  • Volunteers who want to contribute beyond local competitions
  • Students or early-career professionals looking for real non-profit experience
  • Anyone interested in how an international non-profit actually operates

You’ll work alongside experienced committee members, the WCA COO, and the WCA Treasurer, and we’re happy to support newer volunteers as they learn.

You must be at least 18 years old and able to communicate clearly in written English. Although not required, any experience in financial operations, bookkeeping, grant program administration, or accounting policy development would be a great skill to bring to the team.

Time commitment
On average, the commitment is about 3-5 hours per week, though this can vary depending on the projects you’re involved in.

Most coordination happens asynchronously via email and chat, and we aim to stay reasonably responsive as a team.

How to apply
Please send a Word document or PDF that includes:

  • A short personal introduction
  • A summary of your involvement in the cubing community (if any)
  • Your motivation for joining the Finance Committee
  • An overview of any relevant skills or experience (professional or volunteer)

Email your application to [email protected] by 9 May 2026. You’ll receive a confirmation once we’ve received it, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

If you’re unsure whether you’re a “perfect fit” — apply anyway. We value different backgrounds, perspectives, and levels of experience.

If you’d like more background, please refer to WCA Motion 10.2024.6 - WCA Financial Committee and WCA Motion 11.2025.1 - Finances. The annual WCA Financial Reports, available on the WCA Documents page under "Finances", also provide useful background on the committee's operations.

If you have questions before applying, feel free to reach out. We look forward to hearing from you.

2026-03-16

Dear WCA Community,

We would like to inform you that effective March 16th 2026, Kerrie Jarman has decided to step down from her position on the WCA Board of Directors.

We would like to thank Kerrie for her contribution to the organization as a Director, Vice-Chair, and Chair over the last 2 and a half years. She has been a tremendous help to the organization during her term and we wish her the best in her other tasks.

The remainder of the Board appreciates your patience over the next few months as we consolidate our resources and plan for the future so that we can continue conducting tasks to ensure the operation of our organization.

2026-03-10

Dear WCA Community,

The WCA Board of Directors is excited to announce the appointment of a new Chief Operating Officer, Dan Smith!

Dan has been actively involved with the WCA for over four years. He previously served as a member of the Board of Directors, WCA Treasurer, and Senior Member of the Quality Assurance Committee, and currently serves as a member of the Finance Team and a WCA Delegate.

Dan’s professional background outside the WCA focuses on operations leadership, team development, process improvement, and delivering complex technical solutions. He has over 15 years of project management experience and has led teams of up to 25 while managing budgets up to $8 million. He holds an MBA from the University of Colorado and a BSc from the University of Maryland University College (now known as University of Maryland Global Campus).

Dan has been an active member of the speedcubing community since 2018, having organized and delegated over 50 competitions. In 2023, he joined the WCA Quality Assurance Committee, where he helped maintain educational materials and develop the Delegate training system (LMS).

In January 2025, Dan was elected to the WCA Board of Directors, where he made an immediate impact. He has worked closely with our sponsors on new initiatives, strengthened relationships between WCA leadership and teams across the organization, and engaged with volunteers at all levels.

As the WCA continues to grow in size and complexity, Dan understands that the COO role is not about changing the volunteer-driven identity that defines our organization, but about helping shape the WCA for the future.

The Board believes this role is best filled by someone who understands how the organization works at every level. Having worked closely with our global volunteer community, we believe Dan is the right person to serve as the WCA’s Chief Operating Officer. He stepped down from the Board and assumed his new role effective Thursday, March 5, 2026.

2026-03-09

Dear WCA Community,

The WCA Regulations Committee would like to inform you about a new version of the WCA Regulations. This version will be in effect for competitions beginning on, or after, April 1st, 2026. The changes to the Regulations in this version are limited in scope and only affect the handling of incidents in which puzzles were not correctly scrambled (misscrambles).

In summary, these changes:

  • Remove championship finals from the scope of the firmer Extra/DNS misscramble approach in Regulation 11i1. While scramble integrity remains important, this prioritizes the competitive integrity and spectacle of these rounds.
  • Also remove record/top 50 results in championship finals from this scope, as long as scramble double checking takes place. This avoids potentially unfair scenarios in which championship finals could still be affected, while encouraging measures to support correct scrambles in these contexts.
  • Provide support to ensure results still subject to stricter misscramble requirements (top results not in championship finals) can be checked once they take place, to minimise the chance of later DNS changes, and allowing subsequent round results not to be removed even if a misscramble is found after the competition.

You can review the wording changes in this comparison on GitHub, where changes and additions are marked green and removals are marked red.

You can read a detailed description of changes in this explainer document. The final changes made remain consistent with the draft changes circulated in February 2026, with no further amendments made.

2026-03-04

Dear WCA Community,

The WCA Board and the WCA Major Championship Team (WMCT) wish to provide an important update regarding the 2026 WCA Asian Championship.

After an extensive review of the current planning phase, we regret to announce that the championship will no longer be held in Shenyang, China. This decision follows a period of close collaboration between the WCA and local organizers to assess the logistical feasibility of the event.

During this assessment, we have concluded that due to a number of factors outside of the WCA’s direct control, it is no longer possible to proceed with a continental-tier event in this location. These factors are complex and span a wide range of issues, from strategic to operational and everywhere in between and it became clear that we would not be able to navigate around these challenges. With the event date quickly approaching, we had to make this difficult decision to ensure our regional partners, and the community as a whole, have sufficient time to adjust their plans.

The WMCT and the WCA Board are actively exploring other possibilities to enable an Asian Championship to still take place in 2026. We are in direct contact with the Asian Regional Organizations, and will share more specific details with them shortly. We will provide an update to the WCA Community as soon as the selection process is complete.

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Shenyang organization team for their hard work and dedication through the planning process. We share the community’s disappointment regarding this change and thank you for your continued patience as we work to deliver a high-quality championship experience.

2026-02-20

Dear WCA Community,

We are happy to announce we have a new Senior Delegate, Karol Zakrzewski, for Europe.

Karol was selected by the WCA Board by voting among them, following Section 4 of our Motion about Senior Delegates.

We extend our support and best wishes to Karol in fulfilling his new responsibilities. His term as Senior Delegate starts on February 4, 2026.

Karol was the only applicant for the role, and his successful candidacy document can be found here.

2026-02-20

Dear WCA Community,

The WCA is seeking a volunteer to fill the position of Head of Merch within the WCA Marketing Team. This role focuses on maintaining the WCA’s visual identity through our official merchandise and providing support to community members who purchase from our store.

Candidates are expected to spend at least 4 hours per week on average to fulfill the duties of this role. There is no fixed term limit for this role.

Key Responsibilities

  • Merchandise Design: Developing new product designs and creative concepts that align with the WCA brand.

  • Store Maintenance: Managing the WCA’s storefront, including adding new designs and updating product listings (no physical inventory management is required).

  • Customer Support: Responding to community inquiries regarding store orders and product feedback.

  • Cross-Team Collaboration: Working with various WCA teams to ensure merchandise supports global initiatives and specific community needs.

Qualities Expected of Candidates

  • Proficiency in graphic design (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, Canva).

  • Strong written communication skills in English for customer support.

  • Reliability and the ability to work independently.

  • A good understanding of the WCA and the cubing community.

  • Experience with e-commerce or print-on-demand platforms is a plus.

Application Process

The application period for candidates to submit their candidacy documents is from now until March 12, 2026, 23:59 UTC. Interested candidates can send their applications to the Executive Assistants Team ([email protected]), CC’ing the WCA Board ([email protected]).

The candidacy documents must be in PDF format and must include:

  1. Personal Introduction: A brief summary of who you are and your background.
  2. Ambitions for the Role: Your goals for the WCA merch store and any initial design ideas.
  3. WCA Experience (Optional): A summary of any past activities or roles held within the WCA. While helpful, prior WCA experience is not a requirement for this role.
  4. Portfolio: Examples of previous design or creative work.

After the application period, the WCA Board will interview the most qualified applicants, make a selection by voting, and announce the new Head of Merch.

Thanks for your candidacies and support.

2026-02-09

Hi WCA Community,

In the last quarter, the WIC opened 24 cases and closed 19, both a record number for the Committee. This resulted in 5 bans and 8 warnings, while 6 cases ended with no action. Below, you can find summaries of some notable cases:

  • The WCA Integrity Committee was informed of a competitor intentionally stopping the timer prematurely and allegedly positioning himself at solving stations where the display is turned off or where there is no display to avoid being caught. Due to limited availability of footage, it could not be immediately confirmed whether the competitor was performing early stops, but evidence was eventually discovered after monitoring their solves. The competitor was contacted and asked to provide any remarks about the matter. However, the competitor did not admit to any wrongdoing despite the multiple opportunities to do so. The competitor was issued a multi-year ban and the concerned results were disqualified. Despite being the same type of offense as the third case, the ban enacted was more severe due to aggravating circumstances.
  • The WCA Integrity Committee received reports of a competitor who was completing moves on their puzzle during the inspection phase. The competitor admitted to making moves during inspection on some of their official attempts but the WIC believes that the extent of this cheating is further than what was admitted to. The WIC elected to disqualify some of this competitor’s results and enact a short ban.
  • The WCA Integrity Committee received reports of a competitor who had improved at a suspiciously fast pace. The delegates also believed the competitor showed signs of cheating by stopping the timer early with their wrists. Throughout their subsequent competitions, evidence of this competitor cheating was gathered. Affected results were disqualified and this competitor received a short ban.
  • The WCA Integrity Committee received evidence that two competitors had participated in manipulating each others’ scorecards, recording times which were not actually achieved by the competitors. These competitors had multiple competitions worth of results disqualified and were issued a formal warning.
  • The WCA Integrity Committee was informed of a competitor cheating in blindfolded events by peeking under the blindfold. Based on the evidence, the WIC determined that the competitor cheated several times. After an internal deliberation the WIC decided to issue a formal warning and disqualify all their results from blindfolded events.

Here are some other general WIC updates:

Zachary Miller (2017MILL04) has become the new Leader of the WCA Integrity Committee. We wish him the best of luck! Also, we are incredibly grateful to Shain Papalotl Longbehn (2020LONG05) for his performance and dedication to his role as leader over the last two years. Thank you so much for your work Shain!

New members have joined the WCA Integrity Committee:

  • Daniel Darcy (2022DARC03)
  • Elian Beguec (2014BEGU01)
  • Finn Trass (2016TRAS01)
  • Jakub Hanuszkiewicz (2014HANU01)
  • Max Kwok U Sam (2018SAMK01)
  • Meng Chon Kuok (2023KUOK01)
  • Pauline Bonnaudet (2009BONN01)
  • Yash Budhiraja (2018BUDH01)

Jonas Balsfulland (2012BALS01) recently stepped down from his position as a WIC member. Thank you so much for your work Jonas!

The WCA Integrity Committee will work closely with the WCA Major Championships Team (WMCT) to assist the organizers of major championships in selecting volunteers.


Do you have questions for the WIC? Feel free to send us an email any time.

2026-02-06

Dear WCA Community,

There will be an appointment of a new WCA Regulations Committee (WRC) Leader, as Carter Kucala is stepping down. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Carter for leading the WRC since June 2024.

Candidates are expected to fulfill their terms (24 months) and to spend at least 8 hours per week on average to work for the Regulations Committee. The qualities expected of candidates are:

  • Strong leadership skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Expert knowledge of Regulations
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Good judgment and decision-making skills
  • Excellent communication skills

The application period for candidates to submit their candidacy documents is from now until February 22, 2026, 23:59 UTC. Interested candidates can send the application privately to the Executive Assistants Team ([email protected]), CC’ing the WCA Board ([email protected]).

The candidacy documents must be in PDF format, and must include:

  1. Brief personal introduction
  2. Summary of activities done for the WCA
  3. Ambitions as the WRC Leader

Candidates are additionally asked to send a copy of their applications which can be made public at the end of the application period.

The rights and duties of the WRC can be found in WCA Motion 10.2025.9.

After the application period, the WCA Board will interview the most qualified applicants, make a selection by voting, and announce the new Leader, as described in Section 5 of WCA Motion 10.2025.0.

Thanks for your candidacies and support.

2026-02-04

Dear WCA Community,

The WCA Appeals Committee (WAC) is looking for new members! Interested community members of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Due to the nature of the WAC’s work, the following requirements apply:

  • Candidates must have served a period of at least 12 consecutive months as a WCA Volunteer (this does not have to be a current position).
  • Candidates must not be a serving member of the WCA Board, the WCA Regulations Committee, or the WCA Integrity Committee (or must be willing to relinquish the role upon appointment to this role).

What does the WAC do?

The official rights and duties of the WAC are documented in WCA Motion 10.2025.4 - Appeals Committee. The WCA Appeals Committee is a small team that handles appeals made by members of the WCA affected by a decision made by either the WCA Integrity Committee (WIC) or the WCA Regulations Committee (WRC).

Members of the WAC examine the provided evidence and determine whether the grounds for an appeal are valid or not. Then, a thorough analysis of the original committee’s decision is made to reach a final verdict which can overturn or uphold the decision.

The workload of WAC members can vary quite a bit depending on the period and the amount of ongoing cases but it would rarely exceed 3 hours per week. Members are expected to display a certain degree of initiative, maturity, patience and respect in all communications due to the occasional sensitive nature of the investigations. For those reasons, we are also setting an age limit of 18 years old for candidates.

Requirements and expectations

The qualities and requirements expected of candidates are:

  • At least 18 years of age as of March 1st, 2026.
  • Availability throughout the week – expected time commitment of 1 to 3 hours per week.
  • Ability to communicate comfortably in written English.
  • Ability to patiently communicate with people whose first language is not English.
  • Ability to communicate constructively and respectfully, even when you disagree.
  • Familiarity with the WCA Regulations and Guidelines, though it is not necessary nor expected that applicants have a perfect working knowledge.
  • Familiarity with the Code of Conduct and the Code of Ethics.
  • Familiarity with the competition environment.

How to Apply

Candidacy documents must include:

  • A brief personal introduction.
  • Summary of activities done for the WCA and the cubing community.
  • Overview of skills relevant to the role.
  • Motivation for joining the WAC.

Candidacy documents must be in PDF format. The application period is open for candidates to submit their candidacy document from now until February 27th, 2026, 23:59 UTC privately to Rui Reis ([email protected]).

You can expect a reply to confirm whether your application is complete, and may receive a request for an interview with the WAC Leader and up to two other members.

Thank you for your interest in assisting the Appeals Committee and the WCA!

2026-01-28

Dear WCA Community,

Regretfully, we need to inform you that Ryan Murphy has resigned from his position as the Executive Director of the World Cube Association. Ryan has accepted a once in a lifetime opportunity to serve as the Head of Doping Control for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Ryan has agreed to remain in an advisory role, allowing the WCA to benefit from his unique and valuable expertise.

Although short, Ryan’s tenure as the WCA Executive Director has been incredibly meaningful in pushing the organization towards a greater and more sustainable future, and we wish him the best in his new role.

In communicating his departure, Ryan had the following to say:
“I would like to offer a very special and heartfelt thank you to the WCA Board: Kerrie, Nick, Dan, Blake, and Abdullah. Their leadership, dedication, and tireless commitment to the community are evident in everything the WCA does. In the short time I have worked with them, I have seen firsthand the amount of care, thoughtfulness, and effort they put into leading the organization. The WCA is in exceptionally capable hands, and I am confident the Board will continue to guide the organization forward with integrity, vision, and a deep commitment to the global speedcubing community.”

The WCA Board of Directors will resume direct oversight of the Executive Director’s duties, with the support from the strong network of WCA Volunteers. The WCA Board of Directors will continue to evaluate the next steps regarding the Executive Director position in the coming weeks and will release further information at an appropriate time.

Thank you for placing your trust in the WCA as we continue to work towards our goal of empowering the global speedcubing community to succeed.

2026-01-26

Dear WCA Community,

We are happy to announce that Zachary Miller has become the new Leader of the WCA Integrity Committee (WIC). Zachary was already working as a Senior Member of the WIC.

Zachary was selected by the WCA Board and approved in a vote, as described in Section 5 of our Motion about WCA Committees and Teams. This appointment is effective as of January 13, 2026.

We thank Shain Longbehn, who will remain as a Senior Member of the WIC, for the work he has done as the Leader, and wish Zachary the best of luck in fulfilling his new duties.

Zachary was the only applicant for the role, and his successful candidacy document can be found here.

2026-01-04

Dear WCA Community,

The WCA Board of Directors is extremely happy to announce that Ryan Murphy has been appointed as the Executive Director as of 2 January 2026. In this role, he will oversee organizational strategy, external relations, and focus on growing the sport of competitive speedcubing worldwide.

Ryan previously served as Executive Director of the Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC), a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to protecting the integrity of sport and public health by advancing high-quality anti-doping research and development. Founded in 2008 by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, the PCC supported more than 60 percent of the world’s anti-doping research during his tenure.

Ryan serves as an Adjunct Professor for the Sports Industry Management Master’s program at Georgetown University. In this role, he has taught Corporate Social Responsibility and Globalization of Sport, as well as served as a Capstone Advisor.

Prior to joining the PCC in 2021, Ryan served as a Program Officer in the Sports Diplomacy division at the U.S. Department of State, a role he held from 2009 to 2021. He directly oversaw the International Sports Programming Initiative (ISPI), managing the division’s annual global sports grant competition portfolio and focused on using sports as a diplomatic tool around the globe. Earlier in his career, Ryan was Senior Manager for Sport & Competition at Special Olympics International from 2004 to 2009, where he helped develop sport resources for coaches and administrators across the global Special Olympics network. Ryan also worked as an International Doping Control Officer with International Doping Tests & Management (IDTM) from 2003 to 2015, conducting doping control testing for athletes around the world.

Ryan earned an MA in International Sports Law from Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford, England, and an MSc in Sport and Recreation Management from the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England. He holds a BSc in Kinesiology from West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

The WCA Board of Directors is thrilled to welcome Ryan to the organization. His extensive leadership background and deep commitment to the integrity of global sport will be invaluable assets as we enter this next chapter of growth and community impact.

Discuss this post on the WCA Forum

2025-12-29

Dear WCA Community,

The WCA Quality Assurance Committee (WQAC) is excited to welcome new members! Joining the WQAC is a great way to get started as a new WCA Volunteer, or to explore new ways to contribute to the WCA Community if you are already a WCA Volunteer. You do not need to hold any current position within the WCA to apply. We value different perspectives and experiences, and we’d love for you to join us! Information for applicants is below:

What does the WQAC do?

The WQAC is responsible for developing educational resources to support the WCA Community and advising in situations when WCA Volunteers are not maintaining the required skills for their positions. The official rights and duties of the WQAC are documented in WCA Motion 10.2025.8.

Am I qualified to apply to the WQAC?

The main requirements for applying to the WQAC are that you are at least 18 years of age and are proficient in writing English. We are most interested in applicants who have strong attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and collaboration skills. When applying to the WQAC, you must apply to at least one subteam, explained below.

Educational Documents (EduDocs) Team

The EduDocs Team is responsible for creating and maintaining educational resources for the WCA Community. These include the Competitor Tutorial, Organizer Guidelines, and the Delegate Handbook.

We are looking for applicants who:

  • Have experience as a competition organizer or WCA Delegate.
  • Have an in-depth understanding of how competitions are organized and run, including an awareness of varying local practices.
  • Demonstrate strong knowledge of WCA Regulations, Policies, and Motions.

Investigations Team

The Investigations Team handles concerns related to the quality of WCA competitions, Delegate conduct, adherence to the WCA Scramble Accountability Policy (WSAP), and other issues not directly overseen by other Committees or Teams.

We are looking for applicants who:

  • Have strong knowledge of the role and responsibilities of a WCA Delegate.
  • Have strong analytical and critical thinking skills, including an understanding of cognitive bias.
  • Are able to communicate professionally and clearly through email.

Projects Team

The Projects Team leads initiatives to improve WCA Volunteer training. The current largest project is the Learning Management System (LMS) Project, which includes a series of educational courses to support training WCA Volunteers.

We are looking for applicants who:

  • Have strong knowledge of the role and responsibilities of a WCA Delegate.
  • Have experience with educational platforms or training systems.
  • Possess technical writing and documentation skills.

Application Period

Applicants may submit their application document to the WQAC Leader, Sarah Strong ([email protected]), until January 17th, 2026, 23:59 UTC.

The application document must be a PDF file and include all of the following:

  • A brief personal introduction.
  • A summary of activities done within the speedcubing community.
  • The motivation for applying to join the WQAC.
  • The team(s) you are interested in joining.
  • An explanation of how your skills and experience align with these team(s).

Applicants can expect a reply within 48 hours to confirm that their application has been received. The selection process will occur on a rolling basis.

If you have any questions about the WQAC, you are welcome to contact the WQAC Leader at [email protected].

2025-12-27

Dear WCA Community,

The WCA Major Championships Team (WMCT) is happy to announce that Raleigh, North Carolina, USA has been selected to host the 2026 WCA North American Championship.

This team has significant experience in organizing Major Championships, having recently organized Worlds 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The 2025 World Championship was a big step forward for the WCA in many different aspects and we are confident its success will translate into an amazing 2026 North American Championship in Raleigh.

The competition website for the 2026 North American Championship has been announced as well. You can check it out here.

You can view the application documents for the WCA North American Championship 2026 here

Raleigh was the only applicant for the North American Championship.

All of the other Continental Championships were already selected and announced in previous posts, see these here: European Championship and South American, Oceanic, African, Asian Championships.

2025-12-17

Dear WCA Community,

We are happy to announce that Roman Wofford will become the new Leader of the WCA Competition Announcement Team (WCAT). Roman was already working as a Senior Member of the WCAT.

Roman was selected by the WCA Board and approved in a vote, as described in Section 5 of our Motion about WCA Committees and Teams. This appointment is effective as of December 18th, 2025.

We thank Zeke Mackay, who will remain as a Senior Member of WCAT, for the work he has done as the leader, and wish Roman the best of luck in fulfilling his new duties.

Roman was one of the two applications we received. You can view all the candidacy documents here.

2025-12-16

Dear WCA Community,

We are happy to announce that Kyle Kayden Hayles will become the new Leader of the WCA Communication Team (WCT). Kyle was already working as a Member of the WCT.

Kyle was selected by the WCA Board and approved in a vote, as described in Section 5 of our Motion about WCA Committees and Teams. This appointment is effective as of December 18th, 2025.

We thank Zain Ali Behzaad, who will remain as a Senior Member of WCT, for the work he has done as the leader, and wish Kyle the best of luck in fulfilling his new duties.

Kyle was the only applicant for the role, and his successful candidacy document can be found here.