Anthony Joshua (left) and Joseph Parker will fight on March 31 in Wales.

Publicans will have to apply to their local council in order to sell alcohol for Joseph Parker's impending blockbuster world title fight.

Parker's March 31 world title unification bout against Anthony Joshua at Cardiff's Principality Stadium clashes with Easter Sunday in New Zealand.

While daylight saving ends that day, giving fight fans an extra hour of sleep before watching the heavyweight pugilists go to work, Easter Sunday trading laws put the power in the hands of local authorities over whether shops can open or not.

PHOTOSPORT Joseph Parker and trainer Kevin Barry are lining up their biggest fight yet.

While restaurants and cafes, including bars, are able to open, they can only serve alcohol if a person is also dining, and no more than one hour either side of that meal.

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Pub and bar owners can, however, apply to their local councils for a special license allowing them to serve alcohol, and therefore host people for the big fight.

The heavyweight title bout, which will see Parker's WBO belt and Joshua's IBF, WBA and IBO belts put on the line, was confirmed on Monday morning.

Both Auckland Council and Wellington City Council told Stuff that anyone wishing to open for business during the fight would have to apply for a special license to operate during the fight.

The application would go to the independent District Licensing Committee, in which several organisations, including the New Zealand Police, can make submissions for or against the application.

Anna Pashkova, manager of the Fox Sporting Bar and Restaurant in Auckland, said they would be applying for permission to open as usual for the Parker fight.

"We open for all of Joseph Parker's fights, so we hope to open on Easter Sunday," Pashkova said.

There would be nothing stopping patrons from watching the fight at their local pub without a special license, provided they ordered a meal during the bout.