Joubert (27), the energetic flanker who looked the spark which would help Otago in the most critical of seasons, now finds himself out of the game until next year at the earliest.
The South African dislocated his right shoulder in the Ranfurly Shield challenge in Invercargill and has now been given the healing prognosis - surgery next week and then up to five months of rehabilitation.
Not surprisingly, that was not the sort of news Joubert wanted to hear.
"I'm pretty gutted, extremely gutted actually...
"It's obviously hurting, watching Otago, what they are going through and having to sit here and basically being helpless. It is part of rugby, I suppose, but that doesn't make it any better.
"Obviously one of my goals this year was to play well enough to get into the Highlanders and play Super 15 rugby. But now I won't be able to play the rest of the games. That is one of the biggest blows.
"I had a talk to Jamie Joseph and though he was encouraging he said it would be hard to justify picking me if I'm not playing. So that is disappointing.
"But I'll just have to go away, work hard, stick around and do it again. It is not the end of the world. It is just a bump in the road."
Joubert could have opted to not have surgery and strengthen the shoulder but he said the chances of dislocating it again would be high.
Other Otago players such as skipper Alando Soakai and All Black Tom Donnelly had experienced the injury and advised Joubert to have the operation.
Joubert, who moved to New Zealand in April, 2008, is desperate to continue to play rugby in New Zealand, and had written to the New Zealand Rugby Union seeking confirmation over his eligibility for the Highlanders.
"I have taken out New Zealand residency and love it here. I have written to the NZRU seeking my position with playing for the Highlanders. I haven't heard anything back from them but I will qualify in April having been here for three years.
"I am loving it over here - love Otago, love the city, the way of life. It has got to the stage now that when I go back to South Africa, just to visit my parents, I look forward to coming back home to Dunedin."
Joubert, who shaved off his beard last week after fundraising for cerebral palsy sufferer Daryl-Ann Fehsenfeld, has plenty to do as he recovers from his injury.
He is studying for a masters of business administration (MBA) at the University of Otago, and said that was the one positive to come from the injury.
"Now with the injury I will be able to spend more time on my studies. It is very time-consuming but now without the rugby I will be able to study all the time."
A trained mathematics teacher, who worked at the Otago Boys' High School hostel part-time, Joubert has always been interested in business.
He hoped to get back on the paddock in January, and at least make the wider training group for the Highlanders.
"I've just got to stay positive. You've just got to take it on the chin and move forward. I've been working hard for the past few years, thanks in part to the coaches here as you want to have as many arrows in the quiver as possible.
"I'll keep knocking on the door. I've been doing that all my time, first in South Africa and now here, and eventually it is going to open."
