New Wales rugby sensation George North picked up one of the first prizes of his career as he collected the SportingWales Rising Star Award, presented by wing legend JJ Williams.

He revealed he will be seeing the surgeon next Monday and hopes to be able to be back playing at the end of February or the beginning of March after an operation on his shoulder, injured during the November tests when he burst onto the international scene at the age of 18 with two tries against South Africa.

North collected one of the monthly awards, chosen by Sport Wales, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, and SportingWales magazine, backed by the Village Hotel Group, with golfer Amy Boulden and swimmer Jazz Carlin also being recognised for their emerging talents.

“It feels really good to receive this award, to be put in the same category as the players who have received it before me is great,” said Scarlets wing North, who follows the likes of Wales teammates Gethin Jenkins, Gavin Henson and Mike Phillips in earning the award.

“If I can have the career they have then I will be very happy and to be presented with this by a legend like JJ Williams also makes it special.

“It has been a bit of a crazy season, if I am honest. I was hoping to play for the Scarlets, then it came to the Autumn series and that South Africa game was everything an 18-year-old can dream of – playing against the world champions, scoring two tries against the best wing in the world, what more can you ask for?”

North became the third youngest ever Wales international and the youngest player ever to score two tries against a major rugby nation when he made his debut against the world champions in November.

That performance, along with his strong emergence for the Scarlets at the start of the season, earned the SportingWales Rising Star Award, presented at a dinner at the Village Hotel in Cardiff.

He also played against the All Blacks, but ended the November series with a serious shoulder injury.

“The shoulder is on the mend,” he said. “I am seeing the surgeon on Monday and hopefully he will have some good news for me so that I can be back the end of February/beginning of March.

“Unfortunately I will probably miss the Six Nations but I can focus on the World Cup to come.

“That is where I have to put the foundations of my career with the World Cup and then hopefully a few more caps to come after that.

“I am chomping on the bit now. It was nice top have a week off after the Autumn internationals to reflect, but I have had enough now. I want to show I am not just here for a couple of games but for a whole career.”

As three of the 12 monthly winners, North, Boulden and Carlin are now in contention to collect the annual SportingWales Rising Star Award in June