Springbok and Sharks backrow forward Willem Alberts has undergone shoulder surgery while rugby takes a break in South Africa but he should be ready for the Super Rugby season.

Alberts has been struggling with his shoulder for much of the 2011 Rugby season and took an extended break before returning to international rugby before returning for a physical World Cup.

Southern Hemisphere rugby (aside from Australia’s tour to the UK) has taken a break until the start of the Super Rugby season which starts in February to Alberts is using the down time to have the damage repaired.

Sharks CEO Brian van Zyl says that Alberts has already had the operation and is recovering well.

“He and the other Sharks who were injured during the Currie Cup will all be ready for Super Rugby,” he said.

The break has also given scrumhalf Charl McLeod, centre Meyer Bosman and fullback Louis Ludik some time to heal as they picked up injuries after the Super Rugby season.

Looking ahead to the Super Rugby season the Sharks lost four players to European rugby clubs in locks Gerhard Mostert and Steven Sykes as well as hooker John Smit and centre Stefan Terblanche.

However for the upcoming season but have signed Griquas and Cheetahs former Bok fullback Riaan Viljoen and Stormers centre Tim Whitehead and there are a couple more signings on the cards.

Sharks assistant coach Grant Bashford said yesterday that the pre-season training for most of the Sharks squad would commence on November 21.

“We are expecting our two signings to be there then, but Tim is still recovering from a groin operation. He will definitely be ready for the new season.”

Bashford added that players who had seen the most game time during the season had been given an extra week off.

“They will rejoin us on November 28 and that will give them a complete month’s break since the Currie Cup final.”

Bashford said that even though the Sharks surrendered their Currie Cup title and went out in the Super Rugby play offs it was not all doom-and-gloom for the Sharks.

“We were, of course, massively disappoin­ted with the Currie Cup final loss. We needed the World Cup Springboks if we were to win the Currie Cup, no doubt of that, and we were physically up for the game.

“But mentally we were not as sharp as the Lions on the day and our discipline was poor.”

“We reached the Currie Cup final and teams like Western Province and the Blue Bulls, who also lost many Springboks during the year, did not. ”

“We also ended the season with the best defensive record in the competition and we scored 30 tries in the second half of the season to the 16 in the first round. So our attack also improved.

“But our discipline was a problem and we gave away too many penalties, and too much possession, and that is something we will really have to work on ahead of Super Rugby.”