Women's World Sevens series: Chelsea beat Manchester United to win title

The Women's World Sevens series in London had it all from backflips, rabonas and even a fake birth being acted out during a player walkout entrance.

The aim of the game in this fun seven-aside tournament is to show flair, score as many goals as possible and produce the best celebrations.

Winners Chelsea claimed the lucrative $500,000 (£372,000) prize money in the latest edition after they beat Manchester United 6-5 in Saturday's final.

Eight clubs from the Women's Super League took part in the third series of the unique tournament, hosted by Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium.

Running from 28-30 May, it finished a day before the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley and showcased some of the WSL's biggest stars.

With rolling substitutes, no offsides and 15-minute halves, the seven-a-side format is designed to bring out creativity.

Staff members and officials get involved in the fun too - Tottenham boss Martin Ho wore a fluffy blue cowboy hat, while London City Lionesses manager Eder Maestre celebrated with Nikita Parris using a special handshake.

One of the most elaborate walkouts involved Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor as she was carried out by her team for the semi-finals and flipped to the ground.

"I enjoyed it. It came from the players. I'm someone who is usually quiet and I don't want to get too involved but that was a good opportunity," said Bompastor.

"We only practised it a little bit in the locker room. I made a joke that the players who didn't get enough minutes would have the opportunity to drop me!"

Bompastor borrowed a camera off a nearby photographer and pretended to film the players before their final, while Manchester United boss Marc Skinner came out dressed in a white dressing gown and sunglasses to a guard of honour.

Officials stole the show as they pretended to be wheelbarrows, led a rendition of 'Sweet Caroline' and performed a penalty shootout before kicking off matches.

Everton spent time before their 5-2 semi-final defeat by Manchester United to design a fake coffin which turned out to be a black suitcase with defender Hannah Blundell hidden inside during the walkout.

Toffees striker Katja Snoeijs also pretended to give birth as her team-mates (the midwives) delivered a football instead of a baby. It had pictures on of the injured players who could not compete.

Chelsea's players pretended to be tenpin bowling, defender Ellie Carpenter and midfielder Wieke Kaptein did the worm and Aston Villa teenager Rachel Maltby backflipped.

On the pitch, Chelsea striker Aggie Beever-Jones shone with a rabona assist for Erin Cuthbert and United's Melvine Malard celebrated by pretending to need CPR.

Previous events in Estoril and Fort Lauderdale provided a prize money pool of $5m (£3.76m) spread among its eight teams - but it was lower this time, with a total of $1.5m (£1.1m).

Winners Chelsea earned $500,000 (£372,000), while runners-up United received $250,000 (£186,000).

Teams who reached the last four - playing on Saturday - saw their prize money split evenly, with 50% going directly to the players and staff competing, and the other half going to the club to distribute how they see fit.

There is no cost to competing as travel and accomodation is arranged, while each club received a $1,000 (£743) grant to put towards a chosen community project.

Organisers say the prize fund is lower this year because it was shaped by the market and the scale of the event - in this case, an all-England competition with fewer costs.

They want to "sit comfortably" with established domestic competitions. The Women's FA Cup final takes place on Sunday and gives £430,000 to the winners.

The four absent WSL clubs were FA Cup finalists Manchester City and Brighton, as well as Liverpool and Arsenal.

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