Commemorations will be held in New Zealand and Belgium today to commemorate World War One's Battle of Broodseinde.

More than 800 white crosses will be placed in Auckland Domain tonight, in the lead-up to commemorations of the Battle of Passchendaele.

Today is 98 years since the Battle of Broodseinde which the New Zealand Division fought in Belgium.

It's a lead up to events marking what's known as the nation's darkest day, the Battle of Passchendaele on the 12th of October 1917.

Iain MacKenzie from the Passchendaele Society said the Defence Force rugby team will take on the Belgian national side today in Zonnebeke.

"It was close to the battle of Broodseinde that that Dave Gallaher the 1905 captain of the original All Blacks was killed and so the Belgians are playing the New Zealanders in memory of the soldiers who lost their lives."

He said it will lead up to the Battle of Passchendaele commemorations will be held on the 12th of October.

"The highlight will be that these 846 crosses are floodlit every evening through until the 12th of October ceremony."

At 7.30 tonight, 846 individually-named white crosses will be laid at at Auckland Domain to commemorate the New Zealand lives lost.