Cubing East Auckland Newcomer Open 2026

One hundred and forty-seven competitors gathered at Macleans College on April 18 and 19, 2026, bringing speedcubing energy to Auckland, New Zealand across two packed days of solving. The gathering united first-timers and seasoned veterans in a lively festival of twisting puzzles, where side events and social connection shared equal billing with podium pursuits. Across twenty-two total rounds, the venue hummed with the distinctive clack of plastic as participants swapped solving tips between attempts, shared scramble tables, and cheered each other on through every stage of the weekend.

Cubing East Auckland Newcomer Open 2026 showcased a wide variety of disciplines, spanning from compact twisty puzzles to high-order challenges. The classic 3x3x3 Cube drew an impressive field of 145 competitors across four separate rounds of competition. While the pursuit of fast 3x3 results formed a core part of the weekend, the shared experience in the warm-up areas and the communal enthusiasm for non-standard events made this WCA competition particularly welcoming for those attending their first speed cubing tournament.

In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube final, Richard Yiheng Tao earned the victory with a 6.14 winning average, also recording a best single of 5.03. Alexander Vujcich followed closely in second place with an average of 6.72, while Lachlan Gibson took third on the podium with a 7.85 mark. Tao had a remarkably prolific tournament across multiple disciplines, securing additional titles in the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:42.99 average and the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:22.56 average, while also taking top-three finishes in both Skewb and 5x5x5 Cube.

Alexander Vujcich collected his own impressive haul of gold across several major formats. Vujcich triumphed in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 23.35 average, finishing ahead of Tao and Gibson, and added a commanding win in the 5x5x5 Cube final with a 45.40 average, ahead of Tao and Brandon Harris. On the twelve-sided Megaminx, Vujcich claimed top honours with an average of 27.23, sharing the podium with Harris and Tao to cap off a remarkable display of multi-event versatility.

Beyond the top podium steps, the heart of the tournament was found in personal milestones and adventurous event debuts. Juno Andersen delivered an outstanding breakthrough in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 2.44 personal best that was 83.6 percent faster than their previous mark, alongside an official Pyraminx debut of 13.67. Kieran Lightbody chopped 74.9 percent off their previous 2x2x2 Cube mark with a new best of 1.46 and took 44.9 percent off their Pyraminx mark at 6.04. Faith Clements took on nine separate events, registering a massive 68.5 percent improvement in Megaminx with a 2:43.07 personal best. Joe Keating tackled five events, slicing 63.4 percent from their 2x2x2 Cube best down to 1.71 while making a first official 4x4x4 Cube run of 1:15.13.

Other dedicated competitors embraced brand new formats with equal determination. Isaac Oloi contested eight events, taking seventh place in Megaminx behind an initial attempt of 1:06.73 while trimming 47.3 percent from their 4x4x4 Cube time to record a 38.23 personal best. Max Cai logged an official Pyraminx debut of 8.36 and improved their 3x3x3 Cube best by 50.4 percent to 15.29. Milton Zhong entered four events, posting debut marks of 12.85 in Pyraminx and 20.93 in Skewb while improving their 2x2x2 Cube best by 52.7 percent. Donacha Aitcheson took on seven events, achieving a best finish of 14th place in the 7x7x7 Cube with an initial attempt of 7:32.39.

Short-format events brought intense excitement to the tables throughout the schedule. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Yuki Gao claimed top honours with a lightning-fast winning average of 1.17 and a single of 0.88, leading a field of 114 participants. Ashley Foster secured victory in Pyraminx with an average of 2.91, narrowly edging Carol Chai and Benjamin Gardner. Lachlan Gibson captured two side-event titles, winning Clock with a 2.98 average and Skewb with a 4.02 average, while Jesse Brooke captured the 3x3x3 One-Handed crown with an 11.24 average.

As Cubing East Auckland Newcomer Open 2026 came to an end, the atmosphere inside Macleans College remained celebratory. From the iconic Rubik's Cube to specialized large cubes and mechanical novelties, the gathering proved how a local cubing competition builds lasting community bonds across generations of solvers. With dozens of breakthrough milestones and friendships formed across the tables, Auckland solvers closed out an inspiring weekend of speedcubing camaraderie.