The participants who showed the best results in the previous stage get into the first (most prestigious) group.
To play in the Autumn 2014 grand final now, R55Max, Toganash, Maretti, and others competed in regular groups in the spring of 2014. For them, the grand final has now arrived, while for you, it's the selection for the Winter 2014/15 final. In fact, you are playing in different tournaments, so your interests are not affected.
The Crusade has the following advantages:
1) It allows identifying the winner in a short period of 6 months (compared to a regular tournament: groups + playoffs, about 9 months).
2) It allows identifying the winner three times a year, not just once.
3) It fairly ranks all players, not just the top 3 as usual.