The 12 major rugby union provincial teams taking part in this year's Digicel Cup competition will receive a major boost to lift their standards, as each team will receive $26,000 to assist them in preparation.

In a workshop conducted by the Fiji Rugby Union on Thursday last week, the provincial union representatives have been told that this is double the amount that each team received during the Digicel Cup last season.

Out of the $26,000, provincial unions will use $4,000 to buy a new set of rugby outfit while the $22,000 will be paid on a quarterly basis to each team.

Another change to the Digicel Cup competition will see the introduction of the U-20 competition to replace the U-23 format which was used last year.

This competition will assist the U-20 national coach and selectors to identify players for the World Cup.

The Digicel Cup competition starts on the 27th of March with defending champions Nadroga hosting Naitasiri.